We are fortunate to live in a beautiful part of our country, with access to nature and amazing countryside. In a mainly positive way, the pandemic has changed people’s relationships with nature. Evidence from Natural England shows the importance of nature to people’s health and wellbeing, with 85% of people surveyed saying that being in nature makes them happy.
So with more people enjoying the outdoors than ever before, the Countryside Code has been revised to help people enjoy our countryside in a safe and respectful way.
Changes include advice on creating a welcoming environment, for example by saying hello to fellow visitors; clearer rules to underline the importance of clearing away dog poo; staying on footpaths; and not feeding livestock. It also provides advice on how to seek permissions for activities such as wild swimming.
The updated Countryside Code can be viewed here.
You can also help to promote the code by sharing this leaflet.