From car park to countryside
Matt Limb OBE discusses the need to publicise The Countryside Code, so that everyone can enjoy the local landscape responsibly.
July in the countryside – long, warm days when the sun hangs high in the sky and laughter echoes through fields and footpaths.
The school holidays are upon us and with it comes the familiar influx of visitors keen to rediscover the great British countryside. Families head off on their annual holidays, swapping city streets for bridleways and the coast and there’s a natural draw to escape into the great outdoors. A picnic basket, a map and a pair of walking boots – what could be more charming?
The countryside offers so much at this time of year, with its golden meadows shimmering with heat, woodlands thick with birdsong, plus village greens alive with the sound of summer cricket.
The hedgerows are in full leaf now, their tangled bounty of wildflowers humming with bees. After a dry spring and start to the year, summer has finally arrived.
And yet, for those of us who live and work in these rural places, this time of year brings with it a certain tension. There can be an excitement as businesses prepare for the seasonal rush, but also an undercurrent of apprehension. Again, the question will be asked: will visitors treat the countryside with the respect it so deserves?
Right to Roam
In recent years, the conversation around the right to roam has become louder. Campaigners are rightly pointing out the benefits of giving people access to green spaces and I applaud them for doing so.
Nature, after all, is good for us – physically, mentally, but especially emotionally.
We all have a collective stake in our wild places, the ability to walk through them freely is one of the great privileges of life in the British Isles. But it is just that, a privilege, never a free-for-all. Such rights come hand-in-hand with responsibilities. Perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than in our countryside.
We’ve all seen the headlines: livestock chased or killed by out-of-control dogs; ancient woodland scarred by fires from disposable barbecues; picnic sites left strewn with litter.
We know it’s not everyone, of course, highly likely the same few every time – but it only takes a few careless individuals to undo what takes years to build, grow, maintain and protect.
It wasn’t always like this. I recall, as a child, being taught the Country Code at primary school, in fact I would go as far as to say I had it drilled into me. This was somewhat ironic, my village school had no more than a dozen pupils in a small rural village with no shop or post office, just a post box, set in the middle of farmland, with all the pupils’ families engaged on the land. It would have been difficult to be more immersed in a working country life. But even so, our teacher made it very clear: respect the land, respect the animals, respect the people who live there. It was simple, sensible advice and it stuck.
Countryside guidance
The Countryside Code itself dates back to the 1930s and was designed to help people enjoy the countryside without causing harm. It came to the fore after World War II, when more and more people ventured into countryside camping and walking.
It’s since evolved into the modern Countryside Code, updated for today’s world, but the underlying principles remain exactly the same: leave gates as you find them, keep dogs on leads near livestock, stick to marked paths and maybe most important – take your litter home.
Once, these messages were widely promoted. Television campaigns in the 1970’s and ’80s regularly reminded families, in that very British tone of firm non-arguing politeness, how to behave when exploring the countryside.
Sadly, such public service announcements are now largely a thing of the past. Since the closure of the Central Office of Information in 2012, much of this kind of widespread guidance has disappeared from our screens. It’s been replaced by YouTubers and influencers extolling the joy of wild camping on privately owned farmland, unaware or maybe uninterested in the consequences – which does force the question, are they part of the problem?
And so, in this new age of social media and self-expression, perhaps it’s time to revive some of the quality standards and old-fashioned values. The principles of the Countryside Code aren’t draconian rules, far from it; they’re simply common sense. But common sense, as they say, isn’t always that common.
Let’s be clear: visitors are welcome. Very welcome. In fact, their presence sustains much of the rural economy, remembering many of the rural businesses are the lifeblood of the countryside.
The family-run B&Bs, the village shop, the market stallholder, the farm café and yes, the pubs and inns that provide a rest for many a weary walker. Without these visitors, our countryside economy would suffer greatly. But what we ask in return is not complex: just a little consideration and thought.
Respect and responsibility
Take the issue of dogs, for example. Many visitors bring their four-legged companions, which is perfectly understandable. But dogs must be kept under control, especially around livestock. Every summer, sheep are chased, injured or in spring miscarry because someone’s ‘harmless’ pet fancied a frolic.
The damage is not just physical; it’s financial and emotional too. Farmers don’t just lose an animal, they lose a year’s income. A moment’s carelessness can have devastating consequences.
Then there’s litter. I’ve lost count of how many picnic bags I’ve seen neatly tied and left by a stile or in a favoured roadside picnic stop, as though a countryside version of the bin man will pop by shortly to collect it. He won’t.
What will come are the foxes, the badgers, the crows and the rats eager to rip apart the bags in search of food, as they scatter the contents across the verge. What began as a tidy well-meant gesture ends as a health hazard and an eyesore, that someone will have to clean up. So, take your rubbish home – all of it.
And yet, I am not writing about banning access or scolding outsiders. Quite the opposite. It’s a call for thoughtful engagement. Let us welcome people into the countryside with education. Let’s start in schools again – as we once did.
Let’s put The Countryside Code back on noticeboards, websites and yes, social media feeds – do you know of a Countryside Code influencer? Me neither. Let’s remind people what it means to truly connect with nature and not just as a backdrop for a worthless selfie, but as a living, working environment that deserves our total respect.
Because when it’s respected, the countryside gives back generously. It offers tranquillity, beauty, fresh air and a chance to disconnect from the frantic pace of modern life. It teaches children where food comes from, how animals live and why, plus what the seasons truly mean. It fosters a love of nature that stays with people for life. But that only happens if we care for it in return.
This summer, as the lanes become busier and the footpaths more trodden, let us remember that the countryside is not a theme park. It’s not owned by the state or managed by a theme park entertainment company with cartoon characters. It is a patchwork of private farms, wild areas, commons, forests and family homes. It is where people live, work and raise animals. Yes, the right to roam can be important. But it’s not a licence to do as one pleases.
So, when you’re out walking this summer, take a moment to look around and consider what went into the scene before you arrived. The trimmed hedgerows, the freshly mown hay, the flocks of sheep – none of it happens by accident. It’s the result of labour, often invisible, often unappreciated. And just as we’re encouraged to respect frontline workers in other fields, like shopkeepers and our emergency services, so too should we respect those who tend the land, day after day – often for long hours.
As I’ve heard it said – leave only footprints, take only photographs. It’s an old phrase, but still a good one.
And perhaps, this summer, we can add one more line: enjoy the right to roam, but honour the responsibility that comes with it.
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Lincolnshire Life Magazine Newsletter 12/25 - mailchi.mp/lincolnshirelife.co.uk/lincolnshire-life-magazine-newsletter-12-25