The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. A Time to Celebrate Some Forgotten Heroes.

By Howard Sutcliffe Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape

2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act.The Act was passed in 1949 with all-party support, amazing! as part of the reconstruction after the Second World War. In my mind, great things are often carried out in some of the most trying of circumstances, the country was near on bankrupt, with its transport network on its knees, and its heart decimated by the major bombing campaign on its cities.

But under the post war gloom, some rays of hope were pointing to a better future, the National Health service had been created in the previous year, to catch the most vulnerable of our society and give ‘all citizens’ equal access to our Health Service.

The Act had been many years in coming, but when it finally arrived it brought in to legislation the following:

  • The option to create and designate National Parks
  • The option to create and designate Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) since 2023 also known as National Landscapes
  • To regularise and legitimise The Rights of Way Network
  • The option for access to Open Land (Which was further enhanced by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000)

But sometimes we forget the people who worked tirelessly towards implementing the Legislation. My main hero is John Dower he was invalided out of the army in 1942 with tuberculosis. He joined the Civil Service and was asked to prepare a report on National Parks in England and Wales.  John worked tirelessly on the report and became part of a committee to produce the report first published in 1947 and taken on by Sir Arthur Hobhouse into legislation. Unfortunately, John died from the effects of tuberculosis in the same year so never saw his report passed into law. He had married Pauline who hailed from the Trevelyan family, Pauline’s father gifted the 10,000-acre Wallington Estate in Northumberland to the National Trust in 1942. The family (Pauline and sons Michael and Robin) continued their father’s commitment to National Parks and AONBs in many roles for a further 50 plus years.

In Wales we had our very own campaigner who became part of the National Park Committee Clough Williams Ellis, an architect and mountaineer of some distinction, he worked towards creating National Parks in Wales, as part of the Standing Committee, and has left a legacy of wonderful architecture including Portmeirion, he received a knighthood for ‘Services to the Preservation of the environment and to architecture.’

In 1945 Ethel Haythornthwaite was appointed to the UK government’s newly formed National Parks Commission. She was the only woman on the committee but had a history of campaigning around her native Sheffield. After losing her husband at a young age, she was encouraged by her family to take rejuvenating walks in the countryside and moorland which surrounded Sheffield, Ethel discovered the profound positive impact nature had on her physical and mental well-being. This, in part, illuminated Ethel’s passion and commitment to the countryside and fundamental to this, was that the countryside could be accessed by everyone, to experience those benefits.  The same physical and mental wellbeing we talk about today!!!

An unlikely future successor to John Dower as Secretary on the newly formed Commission was Harold Abrahams, known for winning the 100m sprint at the 1924 Olympics in  Paris and the film ‘Chariots of Fire’  he served as Secretary on the Commission from 1950-62.

So, this enterprising group of focused and committed individuals created the legislation that has been the basis for the designation of our 15 National Parks and 46 AONBs (National Landscapes).

Our very own Clwydian Range was designated an AONB (National Landscape) on the 27thof July 1985, this was further extended into the Dee Valley in 2011 and is 390 square kilometres of the most outstanding scenery. Most of the land is worked and cared for by our farming community, the land also provides a haven for our wildlife and can be enjoyed through our Rights of way Network.

A final, but a most useful part of the Act was the opportunity to create National Trails and our very own Offa’s Dyke National Trail was opened in the summer of 1971. The trail provides the best way to explore the National Landscape running its ridgeline from north to south, and on through three other Designated landscapes: The Shropshire Hills National Landscape, The Wye Valley National Landscape and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Through the borderlands of Wales and England, from the north coast to south coast of Wales it stretches 177 miles.

So, it turns out the Act is still as relevant today as it was in 1949! all three Governments in Wales, Scotland and England have put forward proposals to create new National Parks and, in some Countries, National Landscapes. Here in North East Wales, The Welsh Government have asked Natural Resources Wales to look at creating a brand new one, the first since Bannau Brycheiniog in 1957, right here in our very own corner of Wales.

 

Deddf Parciau Cenedlaethol a Mynediad i Gefn Gwlad

Amser i ddathlu rhai o’n harwyr anghofiedig

gan Howard Sutcliffe, Swyddog Arweiniol

Tirwedd Genedlaethol Bryniau Clwyd a Dyffryn Dyfrdwy

Mae 2024 yn nodi pen-blwydd Deddf Parciau Cenedlaethol a Mynediad i Gefn Gwlad yn 75 oed!  Cafodd y Ddeddf ei phasio ym 1949 gyda chefnogaeth yr holl bleidiau a oedd yn ganlyniad gwych ac yn rhan o’r gwaith ail-adeiladu ar ôl yr Ail Ryfel Byd.  Yn aml iawn mae’r pethau gorau yn cael eu cyflawni o dan yr amodau mwyaf anodd. Roedd y wlad ar fin bod yn fethdalwr, gyda’i rhwydwaith cludiant ar ei gwely angau a’i chalon wedi’i chwalu gan yr ymgyrch fomio anferthol ar ei dinasoedd.

Ond yn ystod y caledi ar ôl y rhyfel bu rhai elfennau o obaith at ddyfodol gwell. Cafodd y Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gyhoeddus ei chreu’r flwyddyn flaenorol i wella’r rhai mwyaf bregus yn ein cymdeithas ac i roi mynediad teg i’n ‘holl ddinasyddion’ i’r Gwasanaeth Iechyd.

Bu’n rhaid aros sawl blwyddyn am y Ddeddf ond pan gyrhaeddodd o’r diwedd fe gyflwynwyd y ddeddfwriaeth ganlynol:

  • Yr opsiwn i greu a dynodi Parciau Cenedlaethol
  • Yr opsiwn i greu a dynodi Ardaloedd o Harddwch Naturiol Eithriadol ers 2023 sy’n cael eu hadnabod fel Tirweddau Cenedlaethol
  • Rheoleiddio a chyfreithloni Rhwydwaith Hawliau Tramwy
  • Yr opsiwn i gael mynediad i Dir Agored (a gafodd ei wella ymhellach gan Ddeddf Cefn Gwlad a Hawliau Tramwy 2000)

Ond weithiau rydym yn anghofio am y bobl sydd wedi gweithio’n ddiflino tuag at weithredu’r Ddeddfwriaeth. Fy mhrif arwr yw John Dower a oedd yn methu cymryd rhan yn y rhyfel ym 1942 am fod ganddo tiwbercwlosis.  Ymunodd â’r Gwasanaeth Sifil  a gofynnwyd iddo baratoi adroddiad ar Barciau Cenedlaethol yng Nghymru a Lloegr.   Gweithiodd John yn ddiflino ar yr adroddiad a daeth yn rhan o’r gymuned i gynhyrchu adroddiad wedi’i gyhoeddi gyntaf ym 1947 a’i gymryd ymlaen gan Syr Arthur Hobhouse i’w basio’n ddeddfwriaeth. Yn anffodus bu farw John oherwydd effeithiau tiwbercwlosis yn yr un flwyddyn a ni welodd ei adroddiad yn cael ei basio’n ddeddfwriaeth. Roedd wedi priodi Pauline a oedd yn aelod o deulu Trevelyan. Derbyniodd yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol rodd gan dad Pauline ym 1942 sef Stâd Wallington yn Northumberland a oedd yn 10,000 erw. Fe barhaodd y teulu (Pauline a’i meibion Michael a Robin) gydag ymrwymiad eu tad i Barciau Cenedlaethol ac Ardaloedd o Harddwch Naturiol Eithriadol am o leiaf 50 mlynedd arall.

Yng Nghymru roedd gennym ymgyrchydd arbennig ein hunain a ddaeth yn rhan o Bwyllgor y Parc Cenedlaethol, Clough Williams Ellis, pensaer a mynyddwr o anrhydedd a weithiodd tuag at greu Parciau Cenedlaethol yng Nghymru fel rhan o’r Pwyllgor Sefydlog. Gadawodd etifeddiaeth o bensaernïaeth anhygoel yn cynnwys Portmeirion, a chafodd ei urddo’n farchog am ‘Wasanaethau i Warchod yr amgylchedd a phensaernïaeth.’

Ym 1945 fe benodwyd Ethel Haythornthwaite i Gomisiwn Parciau Cenedlaethol newydd sefydledig llywodraeth y DU. Hi oedd yr unig ferch ar y pwyllgor ond roedd ganddi hanes o ymgyrchu o gwmpas ei hardal enedigol yn Sheffield. Ar ôl colli ei gŵr yn ifanc, cafodd ei hannog gan ei theulu i fynd am dro mewn cefn gwlad a rhostiroedd cyfagos i Sheffield. Dyma hi’n darganfod effaith gadarnhaol ddwys y byd natur ar ei lles corfforol a meddyliol.  Oherwydd hynny cafodd brwdfrydedd ac ymrwymiad Ethel ei danio ym mywyd cefn gwlad a rhan sylfaenol o hyn oedd bod mynediad i gefn gwlad ar gael i bawb i brofi ei fanteision.  Yr un lles corfforol a meddyliol yr ydym yn siarad amdano heddiw!!!!

Olynydd annhebygol i John Dower fel Ysgrifennydd ar y Comisiwn newydd sefydledig oedd Harold Abrahams, a oedd yn enwog am ennill y ras 100m yng Ngemau Olympaidd Paris ym 1924 ac ar gyfer y ffilm ‘Chariots of Fire’ lle bu’n Ysgrifennydd ar y Comisiwn o 1950-62.

Felly, dyma’r grŵp mentrus hwn o unigolion brwdfrydig a sylwgar yn creu deddfwriaeth oedd wedi bod yn sail i ddynodi ein 15 Parciau Cenedlaethol a 46 o Ardaloedd o Harddwch Naturiol Eithriadol (Tirweddau Cenedlaethol).

Roedd ein Bryniau Clwyd ni wedi cael eu dynodi fel Ardal o Harddwch Naturiol Eithriadol (Tirwedd Genedlaethol) ar 27 Gorffennaf 1985 ac fe gafodd ei ymestyn ymhellach i Ddyffryn Dyfrdwy yn 2011 ac mae’n 390 metr sgwâr o olygfeydd cwbl eithriadol.  Mae’r rhan fwyaf o’r tir yn cael ei ofalu a’i ffermio gan ein cymuned ffermio, ac mae’r tir hefyd yn hafan i’n bywyd gwyllt ac yn cael ei fwynhau trwy ein Rhwydwaith Hawliau Tramwy.

A’r rhan olaf ond mwyaf defnyddiol o’r Ddeddf oedd y cyfle i greu Llwybrau Cenedlaethol a Thaith Genedlaethol Clawdd Offa ein hunain a agorwyd yn haf 1971.  Mae’r llwybr yn darparu’r ffordd orau i archwilio Tirwedd Cenedlaethol gyda’i grib yn rhedeg o’r gogledd i’r de, ac ymlaen i dair tirwedd ddynodedig eraill: Tirwedd Genedlaethol Bryniau Swydd Amwythig, Tirwedd Genedlaethol Dyffryn Gwy a  Pharc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog . Trwy ororau Cymru a Lloger, o arfordir y gogledd i’r de o Gymru, mae’n ymestyn 177 milltir.

Felly, mae’r Ddeddf yr un mor berthnasol heddiw ag yr oedd ym 1949! Mae pob un o’r tair Llywodraeth yng Nghymru, Lloegr a’r Alban wedi cyflwyno cynigion i greu Parciau Cenedlaethol newydd ac mewn rhai gwledydd, Tirweddau Cenedlaethol.  Yma yng Ngogledd Ddwyrain Cymru mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gofyn i Gyfoeth Naturiol Cymru i edrych ar greu un newydd sbon, y cyntaf ers y Bannau Brycheiniog ym 1957, fan hyn yn ein cornel bach ni o Gymru.