Winter Hill 125 and the Diggers Festival
Winter Hill 125 On the 5th of September, I found myself in Bolton enjoying the commemoration of the 125 years' anniversary of the mass trespass of Winter Hill. This is the mass trespass you probably haven't heard of. Everyone has heard of the trespass at Kinder Scout in the Peak district in 1932. Why Kinder was unique in the way it captured the public imagination I am not sure. Undoubtedly, the hill itself is far superior to Winter Hill, both in terms of size, topography and views. It also took place in what became the first national park and almost marks the starting point of the first long distance walking route: the Pennine Way . Nonetheless, the near complete obscurity of this important chapter in the history of the battle for access rights is unwarranted. This commemoration, with over 1000 in attendance, and notable guest speakers such as Guy Shrubsole, the author of the wonderful Who Owns England, will hopefully go some way toward ushering in a resurgence of interest. In