A radical group of ramblers roams the British countryside

“This is not a Marxist revolution,” Nick Hayes tells the 100 people assembled in a wooded clearing near Pangbourne, a Berkshire village. Some look disappointed. “Necessarily,” adds Mr Hayes, with timing that makes the crowd laugh. He is the de facto leader of Right to Roam, a protest group that thinks the countryside should be open to all. The group then treks through a forest before they reach an estate they should not enter, and cross a trampled wire fence for a picnic. “It’s mental that this is illegal,” says a protester. “It’s just so quintessentially British.”

Britain might be famed for its pleasant pastures and rolling hills but only in Scotland do people have the right to roam freely on most private land. Landowners in England have made around 8% of land accessible to the public. In 1949 a footpath network was created; it was expanded in 2000. These strides were made by the Ramblers’ Association, a lobby group that cares for the footpaths. But some want to go further.