A Claim on the Countryside

Book info: A Claim on the Countryside (Hardcover, 320 pages) – Edinburgh University Press, 1997. Language: English.

The last century has seen a dramatic increase in ramblers, mountaineers, cyclists and hill walkers enjoying the British countryside. This remarkable book charts the history of the outdoor movement from its late Victorian origins to its present status. Harvey Taylor describes how the active participants in the movement combined to create a loosely constructed entity, held together by common areas of interest and shared campaigning concerns. From the formation of Footpath Protection Societies and the development of a Countryside Access campaign in the inter-war years, he emphasises that the movement was very much more than just a 'craze' or a reaction against creeping industrialisation and urbanisation as was portrayed at the time. This is a fascinating introduction to a particularly British recreational phenomenon. Editorial Reviews About the Author Harvery Taylor is a Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Northumbria.