Member Article

Public to celebrate 60 years of Park life

Northumberland National Park is calling on visitors from around the world to share photographs and film footage of the landscape through the years to help mark its 60th anniversary.

Images submitted will be featured in an online gallery hosted by the Northumberland National Park website and shared via social media outlets.

Andrew Mitchell, web and social media officer at Northumberland National Park said: “We already have an extensive library of still photography and film taken throughout the history of the Park but we’re intrigued to see how visitors have recorded their own experiences over the years.

“Amongst our existing collection are photographs depicting school visits in the 1920s and bicycle racing in the 1950s. It’s fun to review the images but they also provide a fascinating record of how the natural landscape and how we interact with it has changed and stayed the same over the 60 years. We’d be delighted to receive photographs or films from anyone who would like to make a contribution to this unique archive.”

People can share their images and film by email to 60years@nnpa.org.uk or via Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #NNP60. All images featured by Northumberland National Park will be credited to the contributor.

The legislative process that led to the designation of the UK’s first 10 national parks started in the 1930s. The government of the day led an inquiry that recommended the creation of an authority to identify and select areas to be granted national park status. No significant further action was taken until the 1945 government White Paper on National Parks, produced as part of the planned post-war reconstruction.

In 1949, the government passed an Act of Parliament to establish national parks that “preserve and enhance their natural beauty and provide recreational opportunities for the public.” Lewis Silkin, then minister for town and country planning, described it as “… the most exciting Act of the post-war Parliament.”

The Peak District was the first park to be designated in 1951. Within five years, nine other national parks – including Northumberland - were created. Today there are 15 national parks in the UK.

In its 60th year, Northumberland has been nominated as National Park of the Year in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards.

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