The Internet's Biggest Lie - Kinder Scout Mass Trespass

The Map Reading Company

The Map Reading Company

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On 24 April 1932, around 400–500 working-class ramblers took part in what has become known as the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass. But when you look closely at the historical records, something rather surprising emerges: the walk never actually went onto Kinder Scout.

Instead, they walked up William Clough from Hayfield to Ashop Head, on what was then a legal public right of way. At a pre-arranged signal, some of the walkers stepped off the path and onto private land owned by the Duke of Devonshire. A confrontation followed with gamekeepers and bailiffs, and several of the organisers were later arrested.

So how did an event that took place on Black Ashop Moor become permanently associated with Kinder Scout?

In this video I look at what actually happened during the 1932 Mass Trespass, the role of Benny Rothman, the restrictions on access to the Peak District moors, driven grouse shooting, and the newspaper reports that appear to have helped create the version of the story we know today.

I also look at why the story has continued to be repeated by organisations including the National Trust, Wikipedia, the Peak District National Park Authority and the Ramblers.

The question isn't whether the 1932 trespass was important. It undoubtedly was. The question is where it actually happened.

The 1932 Kinder Scout Mass Trespass became a fabled part of the history of public access and the right to roam in Britain. But history is often more complicated than the version that survives in popular culture.

And sometimes the best way to find out what really happened is simply to look at the map.

#KinderScout #MassTrespass #PeakDistrict #BennyRothman #RightToRoam #PeakDistrictHistory #BritishHistory #WalkingHistory #PublicRightsOfWay #History

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Link to the original newspaper report:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1932/a...