DEAR ROAMERS AND YOUR RIGHT TO ROAM

The right to be cool Dear Roamers, Like many people last week, I sought out cool water and shade - not that I need an excuse, but this time it felt less like a choice than a necessity. Swimming in the Dart, I felt fortunate to have a place where I can reach and get into my nearest river. Yet I know that this is the exception. All across England and Wales, (as Tony Hawks discovered in his recent radio series), there are barriers to river and reservoir access. Signs decrying swimming as ‘dangerous’, warnings of ‘underwater machinery’, threats of prosecution and fines. As the continent sweltered through record-breaking temperatures, this culture of exclusion kicked up a gear. At Cheddar Reservoir, permissive access was closed by Bristol Water as temperatures climbed, citing concerns that people might try to swim. Earlier this year, the Peak District National Park Authority warned against swimming in rivers prompting a backlash forcing them to rethink their comms, and possibly who it is there to serve. Even the coast isn’t immune. A Newhaven beach, fenced off by its offshore owners, was broken into last week by exasperated locals seeking respite from the heat. In Poole Harbour, residents of Sandbanks have continued their campaign to remove a fence restricting access to the beach - an effort that appears to have borne fruit after the story attracted national attention, including the surreal moment when a BBC reporter spoke via a Ring doorbell to one of the beach owners who answered from Bermuda. In Wales, Dŵr Cymru issued social media warnings urging the public not to swim in waterbodies managed by them; their alarming claims about safety were subsequently and deftly dismantled by the British Mountaineering Council’s Eben Muse. Meanwhile the owner of Brombil Reservoir in South Wales seems to be suffering a crisis of intent - charging people to visit while simultaneously condemning public access and threatening visitors with hefty legal action. One might wonder what we are actually paying for. The reasons offered for the denial of this basic elemental relief are familiar: we’re at risk of drowning, poor water quality, blue-green algae, hidden hazards and causing ecological disturbance. Some are genuine and deserve clear information and sensible management – a wealth of information of which is provided by the Outdoor Swimming Society. Others are applied indiscriminately, regardless of local conditions, becoming blanket justifications for exclusion rather than invitations to help people access water safely and responsibly. Deaths in water do occur, and every one is a tragedy. But this is a crisis of education and opportunity to learn. It is also an issue of justice, as expertly outlined by Katie Parsons. As our climate warms, access to cool water and shade will increasingly become a question of who gets to stay safe and healthy during periods of extreme heat. Cooling down is not a luxury; it is becoming a public health necessity. Water should be understood as public infrastructure: a place to exercise, to play, to connect with nature and, increasingly, to escape dangerous summer temperatures. Finnamore Wood Vigil Like our rivers and reservoirs, most woodland in England is out of bounds. What little access we do have is precious. For residents near Finnamore Wood in Buckinghamshire, the prospect of a private superluxury development closing the paths used by local people for generations has come as a shock. Woods where children played are now being enclosed behind 2.4-metre-high fencing. On Saturday 18 July, local residents are holding a peaceful, family-friendly vigil to bear witness to the loss of these much-loved paths and call for access to be restored. There will be a short gathering, a moment of silence and the chance to write “love letters to the wood” for its trees, wildlife, footpaths and future generations. If you live nearby and you are able to show your support, please let the organisers know using the details below. Saturday 18 July, 1.00–2.30pm Meet at What3Words: ///cosmic.note.crazy, between nos. 7 and 9, SL7 2HU. Parking is limited, so please car share where possible. Lifts from Marlow or High Wycombe stations may be available by arrangement. For travel help or to let the organisers know you are coming, email finnamorewoodpreservationgroup@gmail.com. Right to Roam Print Shop Finally - a reminder that we’ve opened our print shop! A selection of Nick’s artwork is available for pre-order (closing for current orders on the 13th July), so if there’s a print you love from this batch, grab one now. Note: we had an issue with our payment system this week, so apologies to those who tried to purchase a print and were unable. It should be working now! As the campaign moves forward, we need to fund the work behind it. These prints are a way of directly supporting the campaign while taking home a beautiful piece of Wild Service artwork, something to hang on your wall that inspires conversation, connection, and care for the living world around us. Alternatively, if you are able to support the campaign with a monthly donation, please visit our website. The amount is entirely up to you. Introducing The Crow’s Nest - a Right to Roam Substack If you enjoy reading our newsletter, you might also like to take a look at our newly minted substack where we’ll be publishing occasional missives and longer reads on in-depth topics, as well as shorter posts on fast moving issues. As a primer you might like to read Jon’s eloquent response to eminent Geographer Nicholas’ Crane assertion that the access movement should be less political; Amy-Jane’s beautiful and mysterious act of wild service in the homeland of John Clare; or Guy’s front-footed contention that Manchesterism is a politics of land. Give them a read, and share with others. Please do encourage them to sign up to our newsletter too, which remains the primary place for campaign updates and actions. That’s all for now - see you out there. Lewis, and 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 A newly erected fence blocking access to Finnamore Wood in Buckinghamshire - once a place for local people to walk and play. 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.