In March 2024, Right to Roam teamed up with local residents in Cirencester to oppose the pay-walling of Cirencester Park, where public access had hitherto been freely available for over 300 years.  In the process, we met local resident and campaigner, David Watts.

 

On of one his frequent runs through the park, he began to wonder... just how did so much land come to be owned by one family? He set out to find an answer.  

 

This new history is the result. Cirencester Park: A Short Radical History exposes the troubling roots of the Bathurst Estate's power – and its implications for ordinary people today; telling in microcosm a story which is replicated all across our country.​

 

"Every town in England needs a David Watts. Someone who digs where they stand, and who doesn't stop shovelling until the awkward truth is found." - Jon Moses, Right to Roam

 

You can download David's work for free here. David has kindly asked for any voluntary contributions to be donated to the campaign.