This book traces the legal creation of National Parks in England and Wales, considering how statute and case law shaped the different provisions within the National Park and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.

National parks are often associated with hiking, holidaying, and nature but they are rarely perceived as legal spaces. Yet national parks in England and Wales only exist through the legal processes contained within the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, a piece of legislation which is internationally unique in how it defines what a national park is.

In celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, the book examines the legally unique nature of national parks in England and Wales, exploring why these spaces were created in a legally distinct way. In doing so, the book takes the reader on a journey through the ever-evolving landscapes of planning law, administrative law, and property law in the 19th and 20th centuries, providing a new perspective on the enactment of national parks legislation. In presenting the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 as part of a wider system of legal change, the book encourages the reader to think differently about national parks, emphasising the inherently legal nature of these spaces.

This book is the perfect companion for any reader seeking to understand how national parks in England and Wales legally came to be.