Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of National Parks

This has been a busy year, and we have been celebrating the 60th anniversary of our founding legislation. I wrote about this in my Blog on Diamonds in the Landscape on 11 July; when Hilary Benn MP visited in July on 24 July; when I walked the Castleton Geology Trail on 1 November; and on ‘Being First’ 21 November. This week marked the day – 16th December – exactly 60 years ago when the legislation was passed.

Last week, we celebrated nationally. First, Hilary Benn MP, secretary of State for the Environment, and Dame Fiona Reynolds, Director General of the National Trust spoke to a large audience of MPs and Peers of all political parties at a special reception in the Jubilee Room by Westminster Hall. I always love being in Parliament and I think the vaulted roof of Westminster Hall has to be one of the best buildings in the World. Interestingly, the roof of Westminster Hall was made from timbers from Alice Holt Forest, now part of the new South Downs National Park.

98 (so far) MPs have signed an Early day Motion on the anniversary and this can be seen at:

 http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39852&SESSION=903

Hilary Benn launched the new English National Park Authorities report on Climate Change which can be seen at www.enpaa.org.uk  and Dame Fiona Reynolds spoke enthusiastically about the positive achievements of National Parks. And we watched the 1936 Film made by the CPRE which made the case for our National Parks. This can be seen on the Diamonds in the Landscape website at www.diamondsinthelandscape.org.uk . Our audience was MPs and peers of all parties.

The following evening, Poul Christensen (Chair of Natural England), Narendra Bajaria (Chair of the English National Park Authorities Association) and Evan Davies the broadcaster presented awards at the take a View Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards at the National Theatre www.take-a-view.co.uk  . English National Parks took the opportunity of the 60th anniversary to sponsor this award and also to promote the really important European landscape Convention to a wider audience.

Narendra Bajaria presents the special English National Parks Award to Chris McIlreavy

Broadcaster Evan Davies, watched by Charlie Waite, speaks of the incredible beauty of his own country

Like a kid in a sweetshop, I really enjoyed seeing so many awesome photographs

This week, the celebrations came home to the Peak District. On Wednesday, children’s author Berlie Doherty joined Narendra Bajaria and the children of Elton school to plant trees. Berlie, who lives in Edale, sets many of her books in the Peak District and is one of the 60th Anniversary Cultural ambassadors for Parks across the UK.

Looking forwards as well as celebrating past achievements. Narendra Bajaria, Children's author Berlie Doherty and schoolchildren from Elton plant some of the 60 trees

Staff and members of the Authority then planted 6 giant redwood trees in grove that will, one day, match the other redwood groves in the larger houses in the Bakewell area. It was great to see staff and members getting muddy and working together to plant the trees and a big thanks to Dave Goodwin for fixing the day’s treeplanting.

Expertly supervised by National Park tree officer Dave Goodwin, I do some real work

We also planted fruit trees on land next to the excellent High Field affordable housing scheme in Bakewell with the newly formed Bakewell Community Allotments Association. True sustainability in practice. Fittingly, the 60th anniversary legacy project – selected by communities not members or officers of the Authority – will be to plant field and hedgerow trees in the National Park.

National Park staff and members gather to plant a new Redwood Grove at Aldern House

The Highlight of our celebrations was a reception attended by over 90 people at Losehill Hall on Wednesday afternoon. We invited many former staff and members; all the staff of the Authority who had served 25 years or more; senior staff; all members; and representatives of a wide range of stakeholders. The event was a great opportunity for people to meet and to celebrate the achievements.

Over 90 people gathered at Losehill Hall to celebrate the 1949 Act

Trevor Bagshaw welcomed guests and acted as MC for the afternoon.

Deputy Chair Clr Trevor Bagshawwelcomed guests and spoke of the importance of members, staff, volunteers and communities

The speeches started with Tony Hams, Board member of Natural England responsible for National Parks. Tony spoke of the achievements of the National Parks and of the 1949 Act more generally. He spoke about the challenges of climate change and urged the National Park to follow Natural England’s lead in reducing its carbon footprint.

Natural England Board Member Tony Hams spoke of the challenges of climate change

Trevor thanked Tony and before inviting Narendra Bajaria to review the achievements of the National Park he paid tributes to the former Chairs and their representative who were in the audience. Narendra read out a letter from Phil Hope MP, Minister for the East Midlands, the full text of which is here:  Phil Hope Letter

Narendra explained that ‘The 60th anniversary gives us an opportunity to celebrate the great success of the National Parks and Access to Countryside Act in creating national breathing spaces. The National Park Authorities have managed their Parks against considerable development pressures over the last 60 years to conserve and enhance their settings, to promote access, awareness and enjoyment of natural beauty while always mindful of the need to maintain sustainable communities.

Chair of the Authority Narendra Bajaria spoke of many achievements over 58 years

The Peak District National Park Authority is looking forward to meeting the challenges of the 21st century with equal vigour and determination to ensure future generations continue to enjoy this rich national treasure’. The full text of Narendra’s speech is here:  NarendraSpeech16December

Trevor then passed on good wishes from previous National Park Officers who could not attend, including John Foster who started as my predecessor in 1953 and moved to Scotland in 1968, where he still lives and is active in national park matters.  He also paid tribute to the many community groups, voluntary sector bodies and volunteers who do so much for the National Park.

Dave Turnbull of the British Mountaineering Council, Beccy Speight of the National Trust and Matt Croney NPA Head of Property

I then spoke about the future, focusing on the important work that our main strategies focus us to achieve; the scale of achievement of our Moors for the Future partnership; the great potential of the growing community interest in heritage; the future plans for affordable housing in the Peak District; how we are working more with people in neighbouring urban areas; and the ways in which we would be tackling climate change. The full text of my speech is here:  JimDixonSpeaking Notes 16December

We will achieve much in this National Park that will improve the lives of millions of people

Trevor concluded proceedings with a toast:

To everyone who fought for and worked to fulfil the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949

Former Chairs: Mrs Wilson, Mrs Beadle, Gilly Gostick (widow of Sir Martin Doughty 1993-2002), Tony Hams OBE (2002-2007), Norman Wilson (1977-1981), John Beadle (1981-1993), Narendra Bajaria CBE (2007-present)

John Anfield (former ANPO) & Clr Barrie Taylor, former Chair of Services Committee

Ch Insp Pete Lewis, Derbyshire Police & Chris Darmon, Chair Youth Hostels Association

Former Directors: John Thompson, Ken Parker, John Anfield

Mr Wilde, Clr Wilde (Barnsley MBC) & Narendra Bajaria

Tony Hams, Anne Robinson, Chair Campaign for National Park & Maddy Jago, Natural England

Me (sucking a lemon?) & Nick Hodgson, Derbyshire County Council

Clr Andrew McLoy, Chair of Local Access Forum & Stuart Elliott, former Deputy Chair of the Authority

Gordon Danks, Area Ranger & Mike Hennessy of the Calver Weir Trust

Fiona Sloman, Tom Levitt MP, Alison Adams, Government Office East Midlands & Martin Havenhand, Chair Sheffield City Region Forum

Sarah Montgomery, Chatsworth & Carol Robinson, Friends of the Peak District

Ruth Marchington, Director of Corporate Resources & Lesley Roberts, Member

Deborah Unwin, Head of HR, Adrian Brown, former Chair of Policy Committee, Clr Jacque Bevan, Member

Ch Insp Pete Lewis, Roly Smith former Head of Communications, Christopher Pennell, Dep Chair of Services & the Duke of Devonshire

Ken Parker and John Beadle - fond memories

The Losehill Hall team did an excellent job of looking after us. Well done!

The day of celebrations ended with the Members Christmas dinner which was an excellent meal at the Plough at Hathersage www.theploughinn-hathersage.co.uk  . One of the best Christmas dinners I’ve had out. The evening was enlivenend by a great poem written and read by Christopher Pennell which deftly wove the great beauty and character of the Peak District landscape into the challenges we have as an Authority.

We were all delighted by the cake that Narendra Bajaria and Kath Potter so generously arranged to be made which was decorated with the Diamonds in the Landscape 60th Anniversary logo. A great end to a momentous day.

the celebratory cake for the members Christmas Dinner and which was polished off by 11.00am the next day at Aldern House

All the photographs in this Blog (except the cake!) were taken by Andrew Midgley or other members of the Peak District NPA Communications Team and are copyright of the National Park Authority

Friends of the Peak District Countryside Awards 2009

I was pleased to be part of a select audience who gathered at the Castleton Tourist Information Centre a few weeks ago to celebrate the best of building design in the Peak District.

The Countryside Awards are, staggeringly, in their 25th year and they recognise building design, landscape management and interpretation. The area covered is the National Park and also wider into Friends of the Peak Districts home territory in South Yorkshire.

Chris Pennell – Chair of the Judges – set the tone for the evening in an inspiring and very personal reflection of what makes design in the countryside excellent. He talked of a close association of materials and the landscape; the recognition that gritstone buildings are right in the Dark Peak and limestone in the White Peak. And he talked of the importance of ensuring that good building design added something of quality to the landscape, increasing the footprint in positive ways but not in negative ways.

Christopher Pennell, Chair of the eminent judging panel

The awards included the extraordinary Hector’s House which is part of an emerging collection of buildings in the Eccleshall Sawmills complex on the outskirts of Sheffield. This wonderful little building is built of local timber and houses a gift shop. It has few straight lines but its parabolic roof structure fits easily in its setting and is pleasing on the eye. I’ve seen similar buildings look like cliched gingerbread cake style challets, but this looked elegant, functional and inviting. A great enticement for families.

Definately my favourite of the evening: sustainable, elegant and interesting

I was really pleased to see that the removal of the reservoir just South of Buxton by Severn Trent water won an award.  This popular local site has been restored sympathetically to a landscape which looks more akin to its original, but certain features have been retained to tell the landscape story of the reservoir in future and also to protect the circular walk local people valued.  Great sensitivity by a big PLC.

This former reservoir site has been restored to a very natural feel sympathetic to its setting and the needs of local communities

Of course, I was really pleased that the interpretation in the Castleton Centre received recognition.  I personally think this is one of our best centres now and the deficiencies in the earlier interpretation have been remedied.  It has an excellent and rich collection of local artefacts; a really good description of life in the Hope Valley; and a fantastic audio- trail that people with limited sight can follow around the centre.

The interpretation in the Castleton centre is a collaboration between our staff and the local community

The Special Award selected by the Judges for excellence in Building Design in the National Park – presented by Narendra Bajaria CBE – was for the new Visitor Centre at Upper Hulme developed by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.  This is set in a much-restored former engine shed.  It creates a community space; a place for interpretation of the Manifold Valley; and the judges were impressed by the integrity of the building referenced back to its past use.

Upper Hulme's new visitor centre, interpreting the Manifold Valley in Staffordshire's Peak District

The Awards ceremony was a great opportunity to celebrate a very positive contribution to life in the Peak District, and it was great to see architects, builders and clients all receiving the  accolades they deserve.   

All of the Photographs in this Blog are Courtesy of Friends of the Peak District.  Thety are an excellent organisation who work hard for the National Park.  Please support them at www.friendsofthepeak.org.uk

World Leaders: Please Act for the Peak District National Park

I’ve done some fascinating things this week; we’ve made some important decisions; and I’ve faced some big challenges. But all of this pales into insignificance compared to the challenges faced by World leaders in Copenhagen in a few (8) days time. So, I’m going to focus this Blog on why success at ‘COP15’ the World summit on Climate Change matters to the Peak District.

NASA's recent photo (from their website) highlighting how fragile the Earth's Atmosphere is.

First of all, what is at stake at COP15 – the 15th Meeting of the United Nations ‘Conference of the Parties’ relating to the global agreement on Climate Change. I don’t claim to be an expert on this, but the Government’s Climate Change website sets this out clearly in its ‘Road to Copenhagen’ document. Details at: www.actoncopenhagen.decc.gov.uk/en/

Support the Government's Act On Copenhagen Campaign

Basically, success at Copenhagen would be the last chance to reduce the total increase in World temperatures to no more than 2°C, which is itself a scary rise in temperatures. Global emissions would peak by 2020 and drop back to 50% of 1990 levels by 2050. The UK aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.

We’ve looked at what climate change might mean for the Peak District, drawing on the UK Climate Impact Projections and our Climate Change Action Plan sets out what we plan to do as a National Park. My ’10 reasons’ below draws on some of the information in our plan, from the Moors for the Future project and other work.

See our Climate Change Action Plan, advice on planning and grants and our own Environmental Management Report at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/index/looking-after/climatechange.htm

The climate change scenarios show the difference between impacts in the Peak District with a ‘low’ scenario, that is below what Copenhagen attempts to achieve, and a ‘high’ scenario, which is what would happen in the worst scenarios if Copenhagen fails. All the scenarios would, to different degrees, lead to hotter and drier mean summer temperatures; warmer and wetter mean winter temperatures; more intense weather events such as storms and heavy rain.

The predicted impacts on summer temperatures of 'low' climate change scenarios (top) and 'high' scenarios (bottom)

This is my personal list of the reasons why World leaders must act.

 

Reason1: The cleanest rivers in England are under threat from higher summer temperatures, leading to more weed growth, lower oxygen levels and reduced summer flows. Our limestone rivers and wetlands are of international importance: they support important plants and invertebrate populations, important populations of dipper, grey wagtail, water vole and crayfish. These rivers have been fished for over 400 years and are the basis of a large angling industry today.

The River Dove at Wolfscote Dale

Reason 2: Making hay and silage – conservation of vital fodder for winter months – will become increasingly difficult on the thin soils of the White Peak plateau if our summers become hotter and drier. Peak District farming is a low Carbon way of producing protein for a hungry World. Over 250 000 head of stock are reared on the Peak District hills and sold through Bakewell market every year. There is a growing commitment from visitors, residents and the local catering industry to support this, with hugely successful farmers markets and a sound, low carbon distribution chain emerging.

Haymaking is part of the ecology and economy of the Peak District and is emblematic of the sustainability of our farming

Reason 3: If we let our moors dry up, the carbon that will be lost from them pollutes our water and adds further to the emissions of CO2 , so making climate change worse. Over 1/3 of the Peak District is our fantastic, globally important peat moors. These moors hold vital water and carbon and they are the basis for the water, farming and fieldsports industries. They are great places to walk and for wildlife. Hotter drier summers will make it more difficult to sustain these wetland environments because they rely on cold, wet and anaerobic (where there is no oxygen) conditions to survive.

Pristine moorland retains carbon, eroding moorland releases this into the atmosphere Picture courtesy of Moors for the Future

Reason4: Politicians should not fear to set CO2 emission limits, because our communities are already planning to live within them. Peak District communities are at the forefront of learning to live with less carbon. Schools, villages halls, landed estates, businesses and public bodies are pioneering energy conservation, micro-renewables and low carbon economic models. The Sustainable Development Fund has helped nearly 100 projects, from small wind turbines, to community water turbines and to studies into anaerobic digestion and water power. The National Park Authority’s own Carbon footprint has been slashed by 12.6% in 2 years and we plan to go further and quicker.

Communities, such as Ilam in the Peak District are working out how they can make the transition from high Carbon to low Carbon communities. Picture courtesy of PDNPA

Reason5: Birds such as golden plover, dunlin and red grouse are vulnerable to warmer, drier summers. If they cannot feed in the damp mosses and moors of the uplands, then they cannot survive in the Peak District. The Peak District uplands are home to some of the most southerly populations of upland species, plants and animals whose main populations are further north in the tundra, moors and forests of Scotland, Scandinavia and the Arctic.

Golden plover: the bird which, for many, is the sound of summer on the Peak District moors is under threat from climate change. Picture courtesy of PDNPA

Reason 6: Hotter drier summers will make the threat of moorland fires and their severity much greater. Our Moorlands have been under threat from wildfires and fires caused by people for centuries, but in recent years this has got worse. Our Fires Operations Group is an excellent example of cooperation between National Park Rangers, fire services and the moorland landowners and, during dry spells in the summer, their preparedness and efforts much reduce the severity of fires. In Victoria, Australia which experiences a different scale of threat from fires (270 people were killed in one day in February this year) Parks Victoria has increased its spending on fire control from 10 to 30% in the last 5 years. Can we afford to make the same commitment as our moors become drier in summer and the fire season extends each year?

Through great partnership working and good planning, the Fires Operations Group is effective today, but what happens when long hot summers are the norm? Picture courtesy PDNPA

Reason 7: There is the potential to develop a low carbon visitor economy and we are making real progress towards this. Currently most of our visitors come by car, although of course historically the train was an important way in which urban people have accessed the National Park. But, there is a growing demand for more sustainable ways of accessing the Peak District. Research for our Recreation Strategy identified a huge latent demand for better public transport and, especially, opportunities for people to cycle into their favourite parts of the Peak District. On Friday, members agreed to a £2.25M investment that will provide cycle access for up to 500 000 people. I firmly believe this will not be the last action that will open up truly sustainable ways of accessing the National Park.

Ashbourne Tunnel: the reopening of 4 more tunnels will open up major areas of the National Park to cyclists ensuring more sustainable visits

Reason 8: One consequence of climate change will be more intense and severe rain storms and flooding in neighbouring cities. We have seen the British record for rainfall broken with terrible consequences in Cumbria this last week. In 2007, the intense rainfall in the Upper Don and Rother catchments led to flooding in Sheffield and South Yorkshire. In 2000 Derby was flooded. Whilst we are working with the Environment Agency to restore moorlands in our pioneering Making Space for Water project, severe climate change will make this an insurmountable problem .

Sheffield, photographed from the National Park boundary sign. Energy efficiency is a must. Climate change may intensify flood events for major urban areas

Reason 9: Climate Change will lead to enormous stresses on the historic environment.  English Heritage and the National Trust have catalogued the damage hotter and drier summers and more intense weather will have on historic buildings. The further spread of arable farming could lead to valuable field systems and artefacts being damaged. Our heritage shows the way with principles for building design that allow maximum energy efficiency and design that benefits from natural light.

We can learn from traditional building design, built when energy was costly. Picture courtesy of PDNPA

Reason 10: Upland Areas such as the Peak District have enormous potential to contribute to energy generation in a more sustainable way, using farm waste, timber and fibre, wind and water power and the power of the earth itself. There has, from the Government, been a singular focus on wind energy and I can see the need for large offshore and some onshore wind farms and the scope for many more modest wind turbines in the Peak District. But there is even more potential for ground source heat pumps – many of our buildings, businesses, farms and communities have access to the land that is needed for these and also for water power. Early in 2010, Friends of the Peak District will be launching a major new study supported by our Sustainable Development Fund into the potential for Peak District rivers to contribute energy and we have already seen pioneering projects develop in Alport and New Mills.

Many Ground Source Heat Pumps have been installed across the National Park, in farms, village halls, schools and businesses

So, Barack Obama, Gordon Brown, Wen Jiabao and all the others.  Act for the Peak District National Park, all of the World’s other protected areas and us all.  

Being First

I thought it might be interesting to consider the pioneers of national parks and to look at a few ‘firsts’ . In fact, I will mention 56 ‘firsts’ in this Blog. To many people, the Peak District National Park was the first national park in the UK and technically that is correct. But, read on.

I think that it is important in the modern era that people see us as a special and welcoming place, and that our history is not necessarily the part of this national park that matters most. But it is interesting.

The first protected areas were often hunting forests or sacred areas and this tradition may stretch back 3500 years to Ancient Egypt and beyond . Powerful people have always protected their hunting areas and this included the ancient Peak Forest and places such as the New Forest. Ancient cultures have often protected areas, such as the ‘Evil Forests’ of West Africa and the ‘Sacred Groves’ that I visited in India in 1997. A Wildlife Sanctuary is recorded as existing in Sri Lanka in the 3rd Century BC.

The first official protected area in Europe was the Djurgarden area of Sweden in 1579. The first state nature reserve is believed to have been the Drachenfels Nature Reserve in Prussia (1836).

Winster Market House, Acquired by the National Trust in 1906

The National Trust’s first Nature Reserve was Wicken Fen (1899) and this is also now a National Nature Reserve and its first property was the Alfriston Clergy House in East Sussex (purchased for £10 in 1896). The National Trust’s first property in the Peak District was the Winster Market House (1906). The Wildlife Trust’s first reserve – then of the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves – was Woodwalton Fen in 1919. The first RSPB Reserve was Romsey Marsh (1930) but as this was sold in 1950, the first remaining RSPB Reserve is Dungeness (1932). Beinn Eighe, in the North of Scotland, was Britain’s first National Nature Reserve.

Restoration work completed earlier this year to a very high standard

The first National Park is often cited as Yellowstone which was designated as a protected area under US federal law (but not specifically as a National Park) in the US in 1872. In fact, the first use of the term ‘national park’ in public law relates to the Royal National Park in Australia in 1879. Logically, if the US protected areas have any claim to being the first national parks, then it ought to be the Yosemite Nature Reserve (now National Park), first designated a protected area by the State of California in 1864. In South Africa, the Sabie Game Reserve was designated in 1898 and, combined with other protected areas, became South Africa’s first national park as the Kruger National Park in 1928 (see my Blog of 21 August 2009).

A memorial plaque marking the creation of the Sabi Nature Reserve (1898) and the Kruger National Park (1926)

The first national parks in Europe were designated by the Swedish Parliament in 1909, with 9 designated all on the same day, the 9th September. Earlier this year, Sweden designated its first Marine national park and I wrote about this in September on my Blog of 19 September 2009. Sweden was followed by Switzerland (1914), Spain (1918), Poland (1921), Italy (1922) , Slovenia (1924), Iceland (1928) , Romania and The Netherlands (1930), Ireland (1932), Bulgaria (1934), Finland and Greece (1938), Macedonia (1948), Croatia and Slovakia (1949), UK (1951), Montenegro (1952), Serbia (1960), Norway (1962), Czech Republic and France (1963), Germany (1970), Portugal (1971), Hungary and Latvia (1973), Lithuania (1974), Austria (1981), Russia (1983), Belarus (1991), Georgia (1995), Belgium (2006), Malta (2007) and Denmark (2008).

Living Parks: 100 Years of National Parks in Europe is available from Peak District National Park Information Centres

The Peak District lays claim as the first UK National Park. Indeed, it was first mooted formally in the Addison Report to Ramsay MacDonald’s Government of 1931. Worldwide depression scuppered these plans, although the Peak District Joint Planning Committee was established as the first planning body for the Peak District as a committee of local authorities in 1935. It was not until the post war Dower Report on National Parks in England and Wales, which recommended the ‘Peak District and Dovedale National Park’ and the subsequent Hobhouse Report that the idea developed.

Olympic Athlete Harold Abrahams went on to serve the National Parks Commission for 13 years, overseeing the designation of the Peak District

The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act (1949) – see my Blog of 11 July 2009 – established the National Parks Commission. This was the first body of many that has subsequently morphed into Natural England today. Its first Secretary, appointed in 1950, was the ‘Chariots of Fire’ Olympic Athlete, Sunday Times athletics correspondent and civil servant Harold Abrahams who served until 1963. The Committee at its first meeting on 7th February 1950, considered designating 4 (Lake District, North Wales, Dartmoor and the Peak District). Therefore, it should properly be said that the 4 national parks in the Peak District, Lake District, Dartmoor and Snowdonia were the UK’s first.

The designation process for the Peak District took the National Parks Committee until the Public Inquiry on 6-8 March 1951 at Buxton Town Hall and the Inspector’s report which was was submitted to the Minister Hugh Dalton MP on 16 March 1951. Dame Evelyn Sharp’s letter to the local authorities informing them of the ‘Peak District National Park (Designation) Confirmation Order’ was dated 17 April 1951.

The Lake District National Park followed in August 1951, although it got down to business rather earlier than the Peak District, and by the end of 1951 Dartmoor and Snowdonia were national parks too. Scotland’s first national park, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, was designated in July 2002 (see my Blog of 4 July 2009).

The details of the Peak District designation order were controversial and it took a meeting with all the councils chaired by Dame Evelyn Sharp on 31 July to agree the make-up of the Board. This was confirmed on 20 August 1951, the first members took up their appointments on 15 November 1951 and their first meeting was 23 November 1951. Their first Chair was Alderman C F White of Derbyshire County Council (the first Chair not to have come from Derbyshire County Council was Secretary of State appointee Tony Hams in 2002) and the first clerk to the committee was D G Gilman.

Mr A L Oldacre (who had been the County Council Planning Officer for the Peak District Joint Planning  Board) was transferred with his staff to be the first Planning Officer (subsequently this post has been called National Park Officer and then Chief Executive) in December 1951 and he served until his early death in 1953.

Extensive tracts of unspoilt landscapes - the Peak District today

Throughout the last 58 years, the Peak District has had many more firsts, and I will write about those at other times.

Being the first is now of historical interest and it is not the most important dimension to being a contemporary or well-run national park. But being the first is often the most difficult thing to do. The pioneers who set up all of our protected areas and national parks have bequeathed to us today things of enormous value. We have a responsibility to look after them for future generations.

I have relied on a number of sources for this article, including various websites, the excellent new ‘Living Parks: 100 Years of National Parks in Europe’ published by Europarc and available from Peak District National Park Information Centres; Ray Woolmore’s thoroughly researched Designation History Series ‘The Peak District National Park’ of 2006; and a very informative e-mail to Narendra Bajaria from environmental historian Geoff Mosley.

Chief Executive’s Salary and Expenses

I apologise to many people who expect my Blog to be about the really interesting things that happen in a National Park that this one may be a bit boring. But, several people have asked me and it has come up in our recent ‘Residents Survey’ about my salary, expenses and ‘bonus’.

I was reminded about this reading some of the eye-watering sums paid to hundreds of managers in the BBC, government agencies and local authorities. And, of course, we’ve all been bemused, if not shocked, by the discredited expenses regime for MPs.

This Blog is a fairly factual description of my salary and expenses. If anyone has any questions, I can easily answer these.

My annual salary is £75 435 and I am not paid any bonuses, nor am I paid contributions to health care or any similar benefits. No bonuses are paid to anyone in the Authority, although we do pay honorarium payments to staff who take on extra responsibility (such as covering for ill or absent colleagues).

My salary is approximately 5.5 times greater than the equivalent full time salary of the lowest paid member of staff (assuming 4 years service) whose salary would be £13 650. This is in line with charities and other agencies who take an ethical perspective to the pay of senior staff.

I am a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme and this is a final salary scheme which is part contributory and it would pay me about 25/80 of my final salary at the earliest time I would be eligible to retire. This is the same scheme all Peak District National Park Authority staff are on, if they opt into this and it is identical to that offered to council workers across the country.

My expenses over the last year fall into three categories:

1. Travel and accommodation on business
I will generally choose public transport for longer trips, such as to London, and always travel 2nd class unless (occasionally) 1st Class tickets are on offer and are cheaper than 2nd Class. A typical train fare to London would be £155 return. I use an Oyster Card in London. For other journeys in and around the Peak District, I generally use NPA Fleet cars (we have a small pool of mainly Vauxhall Corsas, chosen for their overall performance on safety, reliability and fuel economy).

When I use my private car, for example when fleet cars are not available or if my car will be parked at a railway station for some time, I am reimbursed at 45p/mile. These and related expenses such as parking are summarised in the table below:

Month (year 2008/9)  Mileage Claimed @ 45p/mile  Other expenses (£)
September                                      69                                                      0.00
October/Nov/Dec                      239                                                     0.00
January                                            90                                                  50.40
February                                          79                                                  16.10
March                                                54                                                     0.65
April                                                 101                                                 30.85
May                                                     39                                                 20.00
June                                                    76                                                    9.60
July/August                                   164                                                   0.00
September                                         84                                                   0.00

2. Representing the Authority at the Annual Europarc Conference
This year, I represented the Authority at the annual Europarc Conference in Stromstad, Sweden between 9th and 13th September. The full costs of the conference – all the paperwork, sessions, meals and accommodation in the Conference Hotel came to 5080 Swedish Kronor, or £445.13. I flew direct from Manchester to Gothenberg Economy class and this flight cost £247.50.  I shared a pre-booked airport taxi which cost drop off and pick up £140.00

3. Hospitality for Visitors
An important part of my job is hosting visitors to the National Park Authority. Sometimes, these visits are hosted at our Environmental Study Centre Losehill Hall at £11.00 per head; usually a lunch is provided by our contract caterer at Aldern House at £5.00 per head ; occasionally I use one of our local restaurants. I never claim for alcohol, indeed I never allow alcohol to be claimed by staff or members.

I hope that this falls into the ‘transparent, if a little boring’ category of Blogs. I’m very proud to work for the National Park Authority and very pleased to work within a culture where everyone is very conscious of the value of public money. I think the Authority provides fantastic value for money and overall we do a great job for a very special place.

English National Park Authorities Association ‘Vision for English National Parks Seminar’

With my Chair, Narendra Bajaria, I attended this important seminar last week. Held in the imposing Westminster Central Hall at the heart of London, over 60 delegates representing national parks and organisations with an interest in what we do gathered to consider the long term future of our parks.

Westminster Central Hall

Narendra, as Chair of the English National Park Authorities Association, ENPAA, chaired the event. In welcoming people he noted the high calibre of the people represented and thanked them for their interest in our work. He explained that in this 60th anniversary year, it was as important to look forward as it was to look back.

Narendra Bajaria CBE, Chair of the Peak District NPA and of the English NPA Association

The first speaker was broadcaster, traveller and author Nicholas Crane. Nicholas enthralled the audience with an impassioned plea on behalf of national parks. He explained that he was speaking with no fee ‘because he owed a personal debt to our national parks’. He explained that he had visited many parks as a child, in his leisure time and had filmed in all UK national parks over the last 5 years.

Nicholas Crane

Nicholas went on to describe his ‘epiphany’ as he had walked the 2 degree meridian for his book. Interestingly, this was just the book that inspired the late Sir Martin Doughty to leave funds in his will for the erection of a sundial on New Mills Town Hall – my Blog of 11 September shows Nick Hodgson unveiling the new sundial.

Nicholas realised that all of the greenspaces in our country – the village greens, footpaths, bridleways, country parks and national parks are all interconnected. His call to our conference was to recognise that the English landscape is like an interconnected system and that the great national parks are our vital organs. Many other participants echoed Nicholas’ call to consider national parks in context of the wider landscape.

Richard Leafe, who is my counterpart in the Lake District, then outlined the work that had been done to prepare a draft Vision for National Parks in England to 2050. This is attached here and we would welcome any feedback on the document.

A_Collective_Vision_for_Englands_National_Parks_in_2050[1]

Richard Leafe, Chief Executive of the Lake District National Park Authority

It was great, then, that Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State at Defra, addressed the meeting.  Hilary Benn began by stating that it had been a special year for national parks. He reminded his audience that this year was the sixtieth anniversary of the passage of national parks legislation. He commented that it was remarkable that the government at the time had the vision to legislate on this issue at the time.

Narendra Bajaria CBE and Hilary Benn MP

The announcement of the South Downs as the latest national park had been particularly special for Mr. Benn also. It was a success story for the nation he believed.

The best thing he had done this year - announce the new South Downs National Park

National parks were loved by 93% of people as a recent survey carried out by ENPAA had revealed.  Affordable homes and good health were key to this debate in order to maintain sustainable communities and ensure preservation, he believed. For tourism, employment and farming national parks were also important. Climate Change, habitat and biodiversity loss were two of the four great challenges faced by the world Benn believed. The National Parks had an important role to play in these he stressed.

The challenge of climate change is this big

Copenhagen would be an incredibly difficult task the Secretary of State stated. The cost of making the change required worried many he admitted.  However action must occur. The government were taking steps in the right direction already, Mr. Benn stated, pointing to the Climate Change Act. This would transform the way the country saw and counted C02 and green house gas emissions.

Working together was important in national parks

National parks had a role to play in this. They contained 449,000 hectares of peat soil which held 119 million tonnes of carbon. This was equivalent to England’s entire C02 emissions for one year the Secretary of State pointed out. It was important this carbon was kept locked away and he welcomed projects to preserve peat bogs.

 On renewable energy Hilary Benn believed the parks had a role to play when it came to wind, hydroelectric power and anaerobic digestion.  The National Parks themselves were also threatened by the consequences of climate change he pointed out. The Broads, rising sea levels, increases in temperature were all problems.

Mr. Benn announced that DEFRA and ENPAA would co-fund Dr. Iain Mann’s post for another year. He had been doing a fantastic job coordinating the climate change work in all the English national parks Mr. Benn stated.

Thumbs up for Iain Mann's post as ENPAA Climate Change Coordinator

Biodiversity was also key. Mr. Benn reminded his audience he had ordered a review on this issue and it would report next summer. He specifically referred to the excellent work done by Moors for the Future, indeed he wanted the new review that will be chaired by Prof. John Lawton to show how we can go further on this sort of work.

National parks need to help visitors change their lifestyles and think about climate change

For Mr. Benn working in partnership was also imperative. He called on National Parks to work with visitors as educators and explain why it was important to value biodiversity and the natural world.

The meeting then broke up into workshops considering each theme.

Judy Ling Wong of the Black Environment Network explains how important national parks are for people of all backgrounds

Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, President of the Country Land and Business Association reminds delegates of how important it is to recognise the services provided to society of farmers and landowners in national parks.

 
Anyone who wishes to comment on the vision should do so directly to their National Park Authority Chair or Chief Executive, or by e-mail to Paul Hamblin, Director of ENPAA at paul.hamblin@enpaa.org.uk

60 Walks for 60 Years: Castleton Geology Trail

As part of our celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the founding legislation for national parks, we have put together a celebratory walk. Every national park and all of the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty have prepared one – 60 in all for 60 years.

The beautiful Hope Valley is the backdrop for this short family walk

Last weekend I walked the short family trail which focuses on Castleton’s geological context. Millions visit Castleton each year and many head for the caverns. These are great family days out and 3 of the caverns – Treak Cliff, Speedwell and the Devil’s Arse – can be accessed on this walk.

The walk starts from Castleton Visitor centre. Castleton is an excellent centre that was fully refurbuished in 2004. I was always a little disappointed by the quality of the interpretation after that refit. But the staff in the centre supported by creative people from HQ have done a really great job of updating the interpretation, with some high quality imagery, great interactivity and a really good audio-trail which is particularly good for the partially or non-sighted.

The Visitor Centre is a great base for walking in the Hope Valley and shopping in the many good shops in the village

Tactile displays are good for everyone, especially children and those without full sight

High quality design and imagery tell the stories of the whole of the Hope valley

A big part of the character of the Centre is the historical collection of Castleton historic society, and I definitely feel the really interesting exhibits makes this a much more successful centre.

The historic collections, including much material relating to the Sheffield Clarion Ramblers

The geology trail heads out towards Mam Tor and the ‘tongue’ which is the result of historical landslips. The latest closed the main road, making Castleton now feel rather exclusive. Access to the Hope Valley from the Westen end is now through the spectacular and ancient Winnats Pass.

The trail gently leads you towards the extensive National Trust estate at this area, at the foot of the great Mam Tor. For serious walkers, there’s a fantastic range of walks up to Mam Tor and then in all directions. Many set off from here onto the Losehill Ridge. The view back over the Hope Valley is stunning.

The Hope Valley has a character all of its own and is framed by the Losehill Ridge

The main area of interest at this end of the walk is Odin Mine and there’s plenty of interest for children, including shafts, the relics of a horse-drawn stone-crusher and the open cave at the mouth of Odin’s mine. People have been mining here for over 3500 years, so it’s a great destination for families of all ages.

Odin Mine's stonecrusher is part of the Scheduled Ancient Monument

The cave at Odin's Mine is a must for children

The walk then doubles back towards Speedwell cavern. on a busy day, queues can be rather long, but it’s a great visit and the boat trip is just great. The walk then follows the road back into Castleton, although there’s a good alternative footpath that runs along the contour towards the south of the road, giving great panoramas of the Hope Valley to the North. A visit to Peveril castle is a hit with small children.

The Castleton Geology Trail is 5.4km and takes about 2 hours, more if you picnic or call in at the caverns.

This walk is an excellent walk and details can be found at www.diamondsinthe landscape.org.uk alongside the details of 59 other brilliant walks.

Sotheby’s ‘Beyond Limits’ Exhibition, Chatsworth

I took the family to the 4th ‘Beyond Limits’ exhibition at Chatsworth. I’ve become something of a convert to high impact contemporary art since beginning to go to these exhibitions. Judging by the number of visitors on Saturday, I am not alone.

Niki de Saint Phalle's Buddha set in the extraordinary Chatsworth Park

Of course, the huge attraction in this exhibition is the fantastic backdrop of Chatsworth’s historic parkland and gardens. But the sculpture is often of a standard and reputation to match its setting.

Chatsworth's gardens are always a pleasure, especially with some autumn colour

 

I’m always struck by the great inventiveness of these exhibitions, their great technical achievement, and the great humour in many pieces. Some of it, I don’t like much, but of the 29 exhibits there wasn’t much I didn’t like.

Not one of the exhibits, but a great bit of natural art

Alongside the work and the artists that are new to me (frankly most as I’ve not had much of an arts education) there are often more famous or infamous pieces of art. This year, the Life size maquette of the Angel of the North by Anthony Gormley was popular.

Two iconic images: the Palace of the Peak and the Angel of the North

I personally was impressed by Henry Moore’s Three Pieces Reclining, Figure Draped, although that was probably because 0f its bold positioning facing the South lawns of Chatsworth House.

Bold Henry Moore sculpture

The Duke of Devonshire and his team always put a lot of thought into the positioning of the artwork (indeed they also work with staff from the National Park to minimise harm to the historic gardens), with plenty of humour. My family loved Francoise-Xavier Lalanne’ Carp (tres grande) sited on the cascade.

A big fish, caught in the Chatworth Cascade

I thought too that the classically positioned L’harmonie Premiere Etat by Artistide Maillol was brilliantly positioned by the Rose Garden.

Elegance

The exhibition is basically about selling some pretty high end artwork to some pretty well-heeled purchasers. Indeed in the introductory video by Sotheby’s on the Chatsworth website the Duke describes the setting as ordinary, by which I think he means familiar rather than the sort of ordinary most of us would consider so! What I found striking, as in previous years, was the incredible diversity of people visiting the exhibition – lots of families, many young people and also more classic ‘older’ country house visitors, many from overseas and many different ethnic backgrounds, reflecting our very diverse society today. This exhibition is one way of making heritage and, indeed, the National Park, accessible to many different people.

Igor Mitoraj's Eros Bendato Screpolato

I am not sure which exhibit wins the prize for humour and impact. We all loved Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden in the Strid Pond.

Richard Hudson’s Marilyn Monroe was popular.

Subodh Gupta’s Leap of Faith made my family laugh.

Beyond Limits continues at Chatsworth until 1 November.

Jaume Plensa's Heart of Trees, a great statue for a garden

A trip down Ecton Mine, Manifold Valley

I wrote last week about a trip to one of the highest parts of the Peak District, Kinder Scout. Many of the glories of the National Park are actually underground.  Famous places like the Castleton caves and the largest underground cave in England – Titan – are a result of limestone fissuring and dissolving in water.

Deep underground, faults and fissures in the limestone rocks has allowed over 50 different types of minerals to form in Ecton

But some of the most remarkable underground places are the mines, or more accurately, the remains of the mines where for millennia people have hewn the rocks under our feet to win rare minerals. One of the best researched and most interesting of Peak District mines is Ecton, in the Manifold Valley of Staffordshire.

Safety and the services of experienced guides are essential for any trip underground

I visited Ecton with a group from the National Park on Monday evening for a tour led by John Barnatt. John is one of thoose enthusiasts who make the National Park Authority the success it is.  He, and his collaborator, Terry Worthington from Winster, have been surveying Ecton Mine for much of the last year.

Archaeologist John Barnatt has surveyed, to the nearest 10 cm, the whole of Ecton Mine, cataloguing the story of mineral working over 3500 years

Ecton has been mined probaly for much of the last 3500 years, although the actual evidence is restricted to a few prehistoric artefacts and more recent archaeology from the late Mediaeval period onwards. Ecton became famous as one of the highest grade and productive copper mines in the World, and it is said that the 5th Duke of Devonshire made such a huge profit from hhis interests in the mine that he paid for the building of the Crescent in Buxton and his Buxton stables, now the University of Derby campus in Buxton.

What the miners were looking for, various copper ores

Today, access to the mine is restricted and we entered and followed a long passageway that was, in places, flooded to our knees. This made walking quite tiring, but once John began to explain the fascinating history this took our minds off our wet and sore feet!

Whilst much of the mine is flooded today, part of Ecton's great productivity was its reputation as a dry mine

Men would have bid for a ‘bargain’ to construct the non-productive parts of the mines, ie those that were necessary for getting access to the ore but which held no ore. The mione owner would agree to a price for a gang of men per fathom of stone worked. Hand chiselled holes would have been hewn and then small pellets of shot would have been used to blast the rock.

Hand-drilled holes were the basis of working this hard limestone rock

Ore bearing rock would have been extracted with men being paid in a percentage of the value of the ore. Ecton at times produced ore up to 60% purity and copper was extracted for a wide range of uses, including the manufacture of brass and the sealing against barnacles of Royal Navy vessels.

John explains with great enthusiasm the significance of even the smallest archaeological remains

Some of the earliest technological developments were a steam engine developed by Boulton and Watt which would have pumped water and moved men and ore around the caverns. John and Terry have meticulously recorded all the evidence relating to this in the great cavern where this would have worked. Evidence of timber chimneys, remembering these are deep underground, exist in the chambers.

The remains of where a small generator would have supplied electricity to light the mine

One of the most fascinating artefacts are the remains of a very early elecrticity generator, thought to be one of the earliest ever in use in Britain.  Remains of copper wires have been found at this site.

Remnants of the old mine railway line come in handy for crossing some scary chasms!

At the centre of the mine we came across the fantastic 300m shaft and, of course, it is not fenced or blocked off in any way. We tried carefully not to fall in!

At the heart of the mine, the site of the former engines that powered the mine workings

A 1000 feet deep shaft, now filled with crystal clear water

Ecton is today part of the Ecton Mines Educational Trust which provides the opportunity for geology students to visit and learn something about the complex and interesting minerology that can be studied at Ecton. This is a charity that is well worth supporting.

Sir Martin Doughty Memorial Walk, Kinder Scout

I was privileged to join an important walk today to remember Martin Doughty who was Chair of the Peak District National Park Authority and went on to be Natural England’s first Chairman.

Kinder Scout was Martin Doughty's great inspiration

Our day started with short speeches from a number of Martins’s friends and colleagues.

Tony Hams, Martin's successor as Chairman at the National Park and a close personal friend welcomed over 200 people to New Mills Town Hall this morning

 

Narendra Bajaria, Chair of the Authority spoke of Martin's passion for the Peak District, his admiration for the Kinder 'Mass Trespassers' and his contribution to national parks across the UK and Europe

A wonderfyul surprise for many was the announcement that the National Trust and Natural England have agreed to designate Kinder as a National Nature Reserve.

Poul Christensen, Chair-Designate at Natural England spoke of Martin's hatred of pomposity and his enormous contribution to the work of Natural England

 

Poul Christensen from Natural England and Peter Nixon from the National Trust sign the declaration papers for the new Kinder National Nature Reserve

Martin would have appreciated this wonderfaul landscape which is famous for its role in the history of access being designated as a nature reserve.

One of the finest views in England looking West from Kinder downfall

 

Gilly Doughty was obviously very proud of Martin and the activities today to celebrate his life

The day followed with the unveiling by Nick Hodgson of Derbyshire County Council of a memorial sundial on New Mills town hall.

Nick Hodgson speaks of the 'Ace Bloke' who was Leader of Derbyshire County Council before he unveiled the memorial sundial

 

The Memorial Sundial which sits on the 2 degree meridian on New Mills Town Hall

We then walked up to Kinder, initially in torrential rain. But after lunch the weather improved.

The remarkable peatland environment and big skies of Kinder

 

After a wet morning, lunch and the rising clouds were welcome

Over 200 of us gathered at Kinder downfall, which due to the high speed winds was performing its ‘party trick’ of blowing back up the hill. Even many ‘old Kinder hands’ have never seen this remarkable phenomena.

The downfall, blown by a heavy westerly wind blew back on itself, a great natural phenomenon

 

We all began to gather at Kinder downfall

As we walked from Ashop Edge to the downfall and then back to Hayfiled it was easy to see why Martin so loved this walked and why it merits the highest level of protection as a special place for wildlife and for people to walk in.

Over 200 people gathered at Kinder downfall to celebrate Martin, the achievements of the Manchester Ramblers in 1932 and the designation today of the National Nature Reserve

 

Hundreds of Martin's friends gathered to sing The Manchester Rambler at Kinder Downfall

The day was a great success and all the walkers were really grateful for the great leadership and fantastic team working by the National Park Rangers, National Trust Wardens, Mountain Rescue and the Derbyshire Countryside Service.  Jenny Waller of the National Park Rangers led this fantastic effort and I was very proud of their efforts today.

A remarkable moorland landscape