Countryside Day 2024 raises CPRE’s profile

‘Countryside Day’ is a new annual celebration of the English landscape organised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). Branches of CPRE across the nation marked the day in a variety of different ways, some by organising country fairs or festival of rural arts and crafts, others with a series of walks and talks.

The Oxfordshire and Berkshire CPRE branches held a joint Countryside Day event on their county border, with activities spread between the twin villages of Goring (Oxfordshire) and Streatley (Berkshire) which face each other across the River Thames.

Based at Goring Village Hall, which hosted an exhibition of the two CPRE branches’ work, the Day included a gentle ramble along the riverside, a chance to explore the two Thames-side villages, and a more ‘challenging’ walk for the adventurous among us; this took in the wonderful landscape of Streatley Hill, Lardon Chase and The Holies in the North Wessex Downs. These exertions were followed by a sumptuous afternoon tea for all participants, with the extremely welcome sight of table upon table laden down with cakes and pastries greeting the ramblers on their return to the village hall!

Countryside Day 2024, held on Saturday 7 September, proved a great opportunity for members of the public to learn more about the glories of the English countryside and our rural traditions, and for CPRE to promote its cause of promoting, protecting and enhancing the nation’s rural areas and green spaces. Despite grey drizzly weather, a great time was had by all, with everyone agreeing the joint Berks/Oxon Countryside Day was the perfect way to celebrate and learn more about this corner of rural England.