Right to Roam campaigners call for access to walk along all England’s rivers

Campaigners are calling for access to all rivers in England, not just nine river walks promised by the Government.

Right to Roam, which campaigns for public access to more of England’s countryside, said it will stage nine protests along rivers across the country.

Walkers will trespass on to private land as part of efforts to highlight how landowners block public access to rivers, the campaign group said on Wednesday.

It comes as they argue that Labour’s pledge to create nine new river walks, one in each region of England, would be a “logistical nightmare”.

This is because ministers would have to negotiate permissive access agreements with too many different landowners, they said, citing its recent analysis that found the Dart River in Devon has 108 alone.

Instead, the group said the Government should pass new legislation giving the public a default right of responsible access to all rivers.

Nadia Shaikh, from the Right to Roam campaign, said: “Rivers are the lifeblood that flows through all of our communities – they should be places where everyone can swim, paddle or walk in nature.

“Yet landowners have locked the public out, cutting off access to these magical places.

“A promise to create just nine new river walks won’t help the vast majority of people in this country access nature, and ministers will discover it’s a logistical nightmare to negotiate with hundreds of landowners.

“It would be much easier for the Government to pass a new law giving the public a right of responsible access to rivers, river banks and the wider countryside.”

Guy Shrubsole, also from Right to Roam, said the pledge to create walks along just nine out of the hundreds of rivers in England is “peanuts”.

“Why not give every community the right to access and care for their local river?” he said.

“Let’s end this feudal idea of needing the landowner’s permission to visit your local river, and create a right of responsible access to the countryside, so that everyone can enjoy and protect our rivers.”

The protests are being organised to take place in November along the Dart in Devon, the River Wensum in Norfolk, the River Bollin in Cheshire and the River Avon near Salisbury in Wiltshire.

Actions will also be staged on the River Aire, West Yorkshire, and the River Camel in Cornwall, with further locations to be confirmed.

An Environment Department spokesperson said: “Our countryside and green spaces are a source of great national pride, but too many people across the country have been left without access to the great outdoors.  

“We are increasing access to nature and the countryside, creating nine new national river walks, three new national forests and the 2,700-mile King Charles III England Coast Path is also nearing completion.”