The national parks of England and Wales are a vital part of the environmental resources of Britain. Originally published in 1982 and drawing on considerable practical and research experience, the authors present a cogent, authoritative and radical challenge to the established thinking about these cherished parts of the landscape. The first part of the book provides an historical account of the parks and an analysis of the failure of the system prior to reorganization in 1974. The second de...

Originally published in 1987, this book rejects the ‘pay through the nose’ approach to conservation enshrined in the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and demonstrates the need to strengthen and extend the national parks system to enable more people to enjoy open country. The authors believe that countryside conservation depends on reversing the trends that are intensifying the exploitation of land and natural resources and displacing people. They argue for conservation of landscape and resour...