John Morton was a preacher and farmer who, in the nineteenth century, saved Bucklebury Common in Berkshire from enclosure, and therefore ensured it continued to be accessible to all. Morton was born into a poor family in 1788. His father died when he was eight years old, and he moved with his mother to Hope … Read more
Pat Wilson was a stalwart campaigner for people’s rights to use our network of public footpaths and rights of way. She was for many years the Ramblers’ Association representative in North-West Kent. As Local Correspondent, and later Vice President, of the Open Spaces Society (the oldest conservation society in the country), she also campaigned for … Read more
When the teenage Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, only about one in five men over 21 had the vote – those who owned a certain amount of property – and, ironically in view of the sex of the monarch, no women at all. That denied the vote to most working people – … Read more
The Charter of the Forest is among the first statutes in environmental law of any nation. Crafted to reform patently unjust governance of natural resources in thirteenth century England, the Charter of the forest became a framework through which to reconcile competing environmental claims, then and into the future.[1] On 6th November 1217 the Charter … Read more
Since time immemorial, or since as early as 1189 at least, Bachelor’s Acre, a parcel of land in the centre Windsor, was used by the inhabitants of the town for the practice of archery and other pastimes. This usage was confirmed in 1651 when reference was made to ‘where Butts were usually set up’ (Butts … Read more
