Urbanisation, the way that people move from rural settings to cities, can be a mixed blessing. It makes life easier, with better access to public transport, services, and entertainment, but it comes at the cost of no longer being part of nature.
The government estimates that 82.9% of the UK’s population lives in an urbanised area and 17.1% in rural areas, yet that paints a false picture of the country’s land use. A figure from the BBC says we’re an almost entirely green place. Just 6.8% of the UK is built up in concrete and brick.
Still, there’s no denying the fact that access to nature is far from equal across the country. A 2023 report from Wildlife and Countryside Link found that a third of households in England did not have a green space within a 15-minute walk, a discovery that might seem impossible given how little of the country is truly urbanised.
Attempts to tackle this issue go back hundreds of years. For example, Jesmond Dene in Newcastle was created in 1860 to look like part of the countryside, even though it’s situated in an urban area. This kind of mimicry has parallels throughout the UK.
Getting people back into the truest type of nature is an uphill battle, dependent on access and even cost. Inspiration comes from a pillar of the built-up world – commerce, which makes use of deals and other offers to make things seem more attractive.
‘Added Value’
Marketers have long relied on promotions to stir interest in their services. On the high street, it keeps supermarkets like Sainsbury’s competitive, but the internet took the concept in a whole new direction.
Via Groupon, it’s possible to get deals on ticket bundles from the Vue cinema chain, as well as coupons for just about every product imaginable. Similarly, the casino company Jackpot City has a casino sign up bonus for new players available in its promotions section. It adds free spins on a game called Gold Blitz.
This kind of ‘added value’ works to attract new customers and retain existing ones, but it works just as well at getting people into historical sites and green spaces. In the Northwest, the obvious place to start is the National Trust, which operates more than 500 sites in the UK.
Membership of the National Trust provides access to a mixture of green and heritage sites. The closest to Newcastle are the gardens at Gibside, George Stephenson’s Birthplace, and Cherryburn (another birthplace, this time of historian Thomas Bewick). Head west from the centre for Souter Lighthouse and The Leas.
Gosforth Nature Reserve
The Northeast is sometimes overshadowed by the North York Moors National Park to the south, but there’s still plenty to discover in this corner of the UK. Visits to the Gosforth Nature Reserve are covered by the National History Society of Northumbria’s annual membership. Costing an average of £3 per month, the pass includes courses, events, talks, and a regular magazine.
Similarly, a membership of Forestry England provides free parking near all the body’s sites, including Chopwell Wood to the west of Newcastle.
Access to the countryside can seem rare in modern Britain, especially as public transport leaves out the more remote places, but annual passes do provide the means to explore green spaces at leisure.