Can I legally walk on Kinder Scout now?

Yes, you can legally walk across Kinder Scout. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 granted the right to walk on mapped open country in England and Wales, which came into force in the Peak District in 2004-2005.

Who was Benny Rothman?

Benny Rothman was a twenty-year-old mechanic and Communist Party member who led the Kinder Scout mass trespass in 1932. He received a four-month prison sentence for his role and continued campaigning for countryside access until his death in 2002, living long enough to see the 2000 Act become law.

Did the Kinder Scout trespass actually change the law?

It depends on who you ask. Some historians argue it was more symbolic than practically effective, while others see it as the turning point in public opinion. What's clear is that full legal access didn't come until the 2000 Act—nearly 70 years later—though the trespass definitely raised national awareness.

The Peak District Pioneers

Benny Rothman and The Kinder Scout Mass Trespass: When Walking on the Moors Became a Criminal Matter

On 24 April 1932, around four hundred ramblers walked onto forbidden moorland in a planned act of defiance. Six were arrested, and five received prison sentences—not for trespassing, but for public-order offences and assault. The harshness of the convictions turned the defendants into symbols and accelerated the campaign for open access.

18 August 20268 min read