Lockdown leads to a few unlikely recruits
One result of the COVID-19 pandemic is that unprecedented numbers of people have visited the British countryside. Green spaces quickly became precious havens in which to spend enforced leisure time and to escape depressing television news. As the country opens up but with foreign travel off-limits, more people are exploring rural Britain, with many venturing into the countryside for the first time.
Outdoor activities have never been so popular with the urban masses. The daily queue at the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) last summer bordered on a mini riot; sales of paddleboards and kayaks have exploded; and wild swimming and wild camping — to the horror of national park authorities and
