FROM THE RIGHT TO ROAM

CAUTION: May contain traces of public enjoyment Dear Roamers, Record-breaking temperatures. A bank holiday weekend. We all know what happens next: like any toasty mammal, we head en masse to the nearest water in the hunt for a refreshing dip. Such days can feel like a Great British Bacchanalia, with the headlines to boot. But for those not blessed with shady gardens or a nearby lido, access to the water is fundamental; the desire for it, inescapable. As the climate heats and such events become more frequent and intense, you’d therefore assume we’d follow our European neighbours in treating access to water as an essential piece of social infrastructure. After all, in large parts of the continent, swimming in rivers, lakes and reservoirs is not only permitted but actively supported by the state. In France, for instance, water is considered 'res communis' – part of the common heritage of the nation. Many mayoralties declare their municipal reservoirs as baignade surveillée (supervised swimming zones) with safe swimming areas demarcated and lifeguards put on hand. In Sweden, under its famous principle of Allemansrätten, access to water is a right. Impromptu signage happily lists the things you can do in a watercourse before reminding you of the things you can’t (at one lake: ‘swim, jump, dive – but NO SOAP’). Alas, in England and Wales, such enlightened municipalism is apparently still beyond us. This week, the Peak District National Park Authority put up social media posts which spoke of wild swimming in a tonal register usually reserved for crack cocaine, warning sweaty visitors not to ‘enter the water at any time in the National Park’ unless as part of an organised event. Swimming is ‘not permitted in any reservoir’ it continued, with a stiff reminder that ‘many rivers are privately-owned, have fishing rights, or are designated for the protection of wildlife’. Why, you might ask, was any of this - with the exception of wildlife protection - a concern of the National Park Authority? After all, park authorities are public bodies, whose statutory purpose is to promote and protect public enjoyment of the parks, not to serve as a police force for private water companies or riparian landowners. The backlash was rapid and extensive, and the post was replaced. In the meantime, we fixed it for them. Still, it’s a pattern. Private water companies can afford to be indifferent to the public interest in the reservoirs they manage (but did not build). Easier, in their view, to send out the private security than make provisions for recreational use. And even public-spirited landowners can be anxious about liability and hazards on the waterways they control. Meanwhile, many of our rivers have either been treated as dumping grounds for sewage and industrial agriculture, or as exclusive playgrounds for those who can afford the fishing rights. Use of the water itself (as opposed to the banks and bed) remains legally disputed: a grey area which leads to conflict, and rule by those most willing to be aggressive. There are, of course, genuine safety issues with wild swimming in inland waters, just as there are at sea. A small number of tragedies occur every year, and 2026 has sadly proved no different. Yet the widespread culture of prohibition has done little to prevent them. Public communication is wasted on admonition when it could be used for education. For neutral, practical advice on swimming in reservoirs and wild waters this summer, we recommend the resources provided by our friends at The Outdoor Swimming Society. Share them with friends and family. And continue to campaign for the Right to Swim. Fundraising Update Many thanks to those of you who signed up as supporters following our appeal last week. We’re now just over a sixth of the way to our target to keep the campaign going. We’re hoping to announce some special benefits for new and existing subscribers shortly, so if you can afford to help keep the campaign rolling, now’s the perfect time. To become a supporter, visit righttoroam.org.uk/donate or follow the link in the footer – you’ll get an automatic link to a dashboard which lets you update your details and cancel any time. Imagine being able to swim without some puce-faced fella feeling entitled to yell at you while you’re shivering in your swimmers. Sure, Netflix passes the time. But for the same price, you can buy the priceless. Local Group Announcements Kernow 9th June – Following a great session at the Folk Fayre in Redruth, Kernow Right to Roam will be hosting a screening of Our Land at Verdant Brewery Taproom in collaboration with Brewing Folk and our friends at The Stone Club. Come along to watch the film, have a beer and a chat, and find out how to get involved with the local campaign. Leicestershire 14th June – the group are meeting for a botany-themed walk followed by a wee trespass. Meet at 10.30am at a layby on the 'Top Brand' road, North West Leicestershire (What3words: https://what3words.com/instructs.finders.having). The walk will take approximately two hours over a distance of two and a half miles. Bristol 17th June – The Bristol group will be meeting at Cafe Kino for an introductory evening session on the Right to Roam campaign, trespass planning, a workshop navigating interactions with landowners, and a trespass story exchange. Sign up on Headfirst here. Stoke and the Shires 27th June – After a successful first walk surveying the deteriorating Right of Way network in the local area, the newly founded Stoke and Shires Right to Roam group will be meeting again for a walk. To find out more follow them on Instagram @right2roamstoke, or drop them an email at right2roamstoke@gmail.com. Our Land in the Financial Times Finally, if you still haven’t seen Our Land, here’s some encouragement from the Financial Times. They’ve just released an excellent four-star review of the film, which they describe as a ‘stunning documentary about the ever more inaccessible English countryside’. Its critic writes: “Our Land features some of the most beautiful English vistas imaginable. Enjoy them on screen if you can, because you’re unlikely to visit them in person any time soon: vast swaths of the English countryside are fenced off by their owners, whereas in Scotland, freedom to roam is a public right.” A full list of screenings is available here. P.S – thanks to Scottish access legend, Dave Morris, who not only drove through the Land Reform Act in 2003 but also spotted a broken link our last newsletter. So if you missed the link to the Guardian news story on Our Land, it’s here. Keep roaming (and swimming). Jon, on behalf of the Right to Roam team ---------- Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. Want to get involved? Visit our website here. This campaign is made possible through small monthly donations from supporters like you. We are currently relying on only a few hundred monthly subscribers. Without growing that number, our work is at risk. Can you help keep us going by becoming a monthly subscriber? £5 / Month £10 / Month £15 / Month £20 / Month The graphic used by the Peak District National Park for a misguided post about wild swimming. Take Action Visit our social accounts Check out our site This email was sent from this site. If you no longer wish to receive this email, change your email preferences here.