19 June 2026
The Inspired by... gallery at Danby Lodge National Park Centre is delighted to present Right to Roam, an exhibition celebrating one of the defining moments in the history of public access to the countryside.
Nearly a century ago, workers from the industrial towns and cities of northern England began organising, not for better wages or shorter hours, but for something many now take for granted: the opportunity to walk freely in the countryside. Their campaign culminated in the 1932 Kinder Scout Mass Trespass, a landmark moment that helped shape the future of public access and contributed to the creation of Britain's National Parks.
Drawing on this history, Right to Roam brings together artists from across the country to explore what access to landscape means today. From painting and printmaking to textiles and sculpture, the exhibition presents deeply personal responses to the places that inspire, sustain and challenge us.
For many of the included artists, the landscape is a source of comfort, memory and connection. Their work reflects experiences of walking, observing seasonal change, exploring local histories and developing a deeper relationship with the natural world. Others examine the social and political histories embedded within the landscape, asking questions about land ownership, access and stewardship.
While many of the works celebrate our freedom to experience nature, the exhibition does not shy away from more complex conversations, with some artists exploring contemporary debates surrounding land management and environmental responsibility. Visitors may encounter perspectives they agree with, or viewpoints they would challenge and question.
Rather than seeking to offer a single answer, the exhibition reflects the complexity of the landscapes we inhabit and value. National Parks are places for recreation and enjoyment, but they are also living, working landscapes where conservation, farming, tourism, wildlife, heritage and local communities exist alongside one another.
The exhibition also highlights an often overlooked aspect of the original right to roam movement, its commitment to caring for the places people once wished to access. At the time, in response to criticism that working-class visitors would not respect the countryside, walking groups promoted guidelines centred on responsibility and mutual respect; these remain the founding principles of the Countryside Code and of the National Park’s own ‘Share with Care’ messaging today.
Right to Roam invites visitors to consider the legacy of those early campaigners and to reflect on their own connection to the landscape. It is an exhibition about access, but also about care, belonging, memory and ways people find meaning in the natural world.
The exhibition also includes archive material from the Working Class Movement Library relating to the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass and the wider campaign for public access to the countryside.
Rhian Roberts, Engagement Officer for Arts and Culture at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said:
“We put this exhibition out to open call and the response from artists across the country has been incredible. We heard back from artists in every corner of the UK who rely on getting out into their local pockets of nature for their practice.
“In a world where we can use AI to instantly create a new image, it means more than ever that artists are taking the time to draw inspiration from the natural world and creating art that cherishes our surroundings. I hope that the experience of seeing these works in the setting of the North York Moors will fill visitors with a sense of pride around our access to nature.”
Right to Roam runs at the Inspired by... gallery until Sunday 26 July. Danby Lodge National Park is free to enter, although parking charges do apply.
For more information, please visit northyorkmoors.org.uk/inspiredby
ENDS
Media contacts
Nina Beadle, Communications Office, North York Moors National Park Authority
press@northyorkmoors.org.uk
01439 772700
The North York Moors National Park
The North York Moors is a beautiful landscape of stunning moorland, ancient woodland and historic sites. Created on 28 November 1952, it became Britain’s sixth national park. Covering an area of 554 square miles (1,436 square kilometres) the National Park has 26 miles of coastline, two national nature reserves, 840 Scheduled Monuments and over 3,000 listed buildings, attracting an estimated 9.03 million visitors a year.
The National Park has two visitor centres, Danby Lodge National Park Centre and Sutton Bank National Park Centre, providing opportunities for cycling, walking, eating, picnicking, shopping, crafts and wildlife-watching. The centre in Danby also houses the Inspired by… gallery, which features regularly changing exhibitions by artists who draw their inspiration from the North York Moors.
The North York Moors National Park Authority works with a wide variety of people to care for this beautiful corner of Yorkshire, providing apprenticeships and volunteering opportunities with nearly 14% of staff being apprentices from local families.