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Ranger Service
www.peakdistrictrangers.co.uk - In 1951 the Peak District became Britain's first national park. One of the first tasks was to provide access to the wonderful expanses of high open moorland within the Park. Access agreements with landowners were drawn up allowing people to enjoy walking and climbing on the moors without having to keep to rights of way. In 1954 the Peak District National Park scored another first when the National Park warden service was formed, one full-time warden, assisted by a few enthusiastic volunteers, helped manage such access areas. In 1974 their work was widened to cover the whole of the 555sq mile National Park and their title was changed from warden to ranger. 1997 saw the Peak Park Joint Planning Board gaining full powers and becoming a National Park Authority.Today the rangers are divided into fourteen areas each managed by an area ranger. There are a further eight full-time rangers and a Pennine Way ranger, with over 300 part-time and volunteer rangers. This team, along with the Access Officer and the Rights of Way Officer, helped to successfully implement the Countryside and Rights of Way Act within the Peak District National Park in late 2004. The wider team includes countryside volunteers, access, rights of way, recreation facilities, area management, Moors for the Future and of course administrative support based at the National Park Office. Although the scope of the job has expanded since those early days, the essence remains the same: to provide a key point of contact between the National Park Authority, local people and visitors.
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