Walkers are Welcome – in Hayfield!
On Friday 8th March, nearly 100 students and staff from Leicester University Geography department spent the day in the village studying issues around access to the countryside. They had chosen this village because of its connection to the 1932 Trespass and the earlier campaign based here to defend the Snake Path against closure in 1897.
They were based in The Royal, where Councillor David Toft, in his capacity as Chair of the Hayfield Kinder Trespass Group, gave a 30 minute talk about the importance of both these events to the modern world – and encouraged the students to come back to this wonderful village. As well as staff and undergraduate students from the university, the audience also comprised three well known folk singers, two from the U.S who were visiting the village.
After the talk, the students were divided into groups and walked a variety trespass routes that led to the reservoir and Kinder Scout, accompanied by their lecturers and local guides, including Councillor Clarke and John Harvey, Secretary of the Hayfield Kinder Trespass Group.
The feedback from the students and staff was overwhelmingly positive and lots of them said they would be back to explore the village and surrounding area. Both before and after the walks, many of them visited local shops, and the university staff said it was one of the best trips the department had taken part in. There is the possibility that it could become an annual event, which can only be a good thing for the village.
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