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OT: Cycling in Britain

Posted by Gunnar H on 2012-11-09 06:30:25

I hate to disappoint you Nick, but the English/Welsh year 2000 CROW act finally allowing the public to walk freely on mapped areas of mountain, moor, heath, downland and registered common land without having to stick to paths, in not quite as unique as you think. The Swedish "allemansrätt" - the everyman's right - applies since time immemorial, giving a person the right to access, walk, cycle, ride, ski, and camp on any land — with the exception of private gardens, the immediate vicinity of a dwelling house and land under cultivation. Restrictions apply for nature reserves and other protected areas. It also gives the right to pick wild flowers, mushrooms and berries (provided one knows they are not legally protected), but not to hunt in any way. Swimming in any lake and putting an unpowered boat on any water is permitted unless explicitly forbidden. Since 1994 the Constitution of Sweden says that notwithstanding the right to own property "everyone shall have access to nature in accordance with allemansrätten". This is quite similar to the ancient tradition of the right to universal access to the land in Scotland. Maybe some Nordic influence there. The sad thing is, of course, that there are virtually no pubs in the countryside, so this freedom to roam may be regarded pointless by readers of this thread :-(

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OT: Cycling in Britain by Nick B. on  2012-11-09 07:58:40