Park Life
Britain’s National Parks are a forgotten legacy of postwar reconstruction.
December 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Act created the legal framework for National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and introduced reforms designed to allow greater access to the countryside, as well as new approaches to the protection of nature and landscapes. It was a pivotal piece of legislation for the conservation movement, but it is often forgotten that it was also an integral part of the reconstruction programme after the Second World War, sitting alongside health, housing, education and the welfare state.
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