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Tourism and Leisure in the Countryside – Richard Sharpley

5th edition September 2007

 

 

Book, A4 wirebound, NOW 370 pages,  117 colour and black/white illustrations, polypropylene box   ISBN 978-1-85450-443-2 – £34.95

 

The book has material for a full year's course with ten stand‑alone chapters on country recreation, management, planning and the law. Level HND and above. Aimed specifically at courses and modules on rural tourism and recreation. Fully illustrated with 19 case studies,  9 debates, and 19 maps.

 

Student edition (5 copies or more) direct from elm publications, wirebound, no box, all black and white illustrations. ISBN 978-1-85450-506-4  @ GBP £24.95 each

Front cover of Tourism Leisure in the Countryside

Introduction to book

Contents

The Author

List of Figures - photographs, maps, exhibits and diagrams

List of Tables

List of Case Studies

List of Debates

 

Go to Tourism & Leisure in the Countryside -Tutor’s Pack

 

Introduction to book

 

The countryside has long been a popular tourist destination. Recent years, however, have witnessed a dramatic growth in the level and diversity of countryside recreation and a correspondingly greater awareness of the impacts of tourism and leisure on the rural environment. At the same time, there has been a marked shift in rural development policy in general, and farming in particular, away from production to environmental protection and enhancement. Coupled with the increasing reliance of rural communities on the economic benefits of tourism and leisure, this has served to heighten the need for, and importance of, effective and sustainable management of the countryside as a resource for recreation.

 

There have also, in recent years, been a number of changes in the planning and administration of rural tourism and recreation. For example, the Rural White Paper in 2000 firmly established tourism as a vehicle for the social and economic regeneration of the British countryside, whilst the Foot and Mouth crisis in 2001 served to demonstrate both the interdependence of various elements of the rural economy and the fragility (or lack of sustainability) of the tourism and leisure industry in particular. However, it remains to be seen if the need for the effective and integrated management of the countryside as a resource for tourism and leisure is met by the new Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.  Also, visitors to the countryside now enjoy a wider freedom of access, whilst the public administration of the both countryside and tourism has been subject to reorganisation.

 

This fifth edition of Tourism and Leisure in the Countryside reflects these recent changes within the context of rural recreation, including the NERC Act, the Commons Act 2006 and up-to-date statistics on the use of the countryside for tourism and leisure. It also includes indicated further reading at the end of each chapter as well as, where relevant, brief ‘debate’ sections which consider contemporary issues relevant to the demand for and supply of rural tourism and leisure.

 

It remains easy to read and understand, providing a detailed and straightforward introduction to the study of rural recreation for students studying on HND or undergraduate courses in tourism, leisure or related disciplines.

 

Richard Sharpley,

University of Central Lancashire, September 2007

 

 

Contents

 

Chapter 1:

Tourism, leisure and the countryside: an introduction

Chapter 2:

The countryside as a resource

Chapter 3:

Countryside recreation: demand and supply

Chapter 4:

Countryside recreation and the law

Chapter 5:

Countryside organisations

Chapter 6:

Land designation in the countryside

Chapter 7:

Access to the countryside

Chapter 8:

Countryside planning and management

Chapter 9:

Visitor management in the countryside

Chapter 10:

References,  Further Reading and Websites

 

Index

Top of page

The Author

Richard Sharpley is Professor of Tourism at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston.

 

The author of a number of tourism books, including Tourism, Tourists and Society, (fourth edition in preparation - Elm Publications 2008), as well numerous journal articles and book chapters, he lectures in rural tourism, the sociology of tourism and the role of tourism in international development.

 

His research interests include rural tourism, the consumption of tourism, and island tourism development with a particular focus on Cyprus

 

List of Figures photographs, maps, exhibits and diagrams

 

Figure 1.1:  Beamish Open-air Museum

Figure 1.2:  Industrial Heritage: Kilhope Lead Mine, County Durham  and Ironbridge, Staffordshire

Figure 1.3:  The London Eye

Figure 1.4:  The Boating Lake at Center Parcs, Elveden, Suffolk

Figure 1.5:  Barrows near Stonehenge 

Figure 1.6:  Pwlldu Bay, Gower and  Coniston Water and Dunnerdale Fells, Lake District

 

Figure 2.1:  Forests surrounding Frensham Great Pond, Surrey

Figure 2.2:  The mixed rural and urban view from Conisborough Castle, Yorks.

Figure 2.3:  Areas of Population Density in England (map)

Figure 2.4:  Corn stooks for use in thatching, and hedge-laying

Figure 2.5:  Modern farming

Figure 2.6:  The traditional rural landscape

Figure 2.7:  A prairie farm in East Anglia

Figure 2.8:  Wind Farms and Turbines

Figure 2.9:  Foot & Mouth precautions, Ankerwycke, Surrey

Figure 2.10:  Change of use?

Figure 2.11:  Vicious Circle of Rural Socio-economic Decline

Figure 2.12:  The Rural Inter-Relationship

 

Figure 3.1:  Traditional peat cutting, Scotland

Figure 3.2:  The British Countryside - Brecon Beacons, Wales; Newark Abbey near Ripley Hampshire; Skye Bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh, looking towards the Cuillins of Skye

Figure 3.3: Water Sports

Figure 3.4: Cawdor Castle, in the Highland Region of Scotland, and Hever Castle gardens, Kent

Figure 3.5:  Countryside Activities

Figure 3.6:  The Whitehouse Farm, Northumberland

Figure 3.7:  Private Sector Tourism - Hop farm

Figure 3.8:  Museum and Shop – Tiptree Jam, ­Wilkin & Son Ltd, Tiptree, Essex

Figure 3.9:  Development pathways for farm business development

 

 

Figure 4.1:  Native Plant Species Growing Wild in the UK

Figure 4.2:  Non-native (Alien) Invasive Plants

Figure 4.3:  National Scenic Areas in Scotland (map)

Figure 4.4:  Scotland’s National Scenic Areas: Black Cuillins, Isle of Skye;  Loch Lomond; Grenitote Beach, Isle of North Uist

Figure 4.5:  The Tourist Regions of England, Wales & Scotland, 2007 (map)

Figure 4.6:  VisitScotland – Tourism Areas (map)

Figure 4.7:  Proposed National Parks In Scotland (map)

 

Figure 5.1: The Business of Forestry: Isle of Skye and Tarn Howes, Lake District

Figure 5.2:  Monoculture Conifer Plantation

Figure 5.3:  Forest Nature Reserves (key to map)

Figure 5.4:  Forest Nature Reserves (map)

Figure 5.5: The Waterways Network (map)

Figure 5.6:  Navigable Canals Owned by the British Waterways Board, Black Country , Dudley Museum

Figure 5.7:  Principles for Tourism in the Countryside

 

Figure 6.1:  National Parks & Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (map)

Figure 6.2:  National Parks; Cairngorms, Snowdonia and Dartmoor

Figure 6.3:  Fylingdales Early-warning Station on the North York Moors

Figure 6.4:  Principles for tourism in the national parks

Figure 6.5:  The New Forest (map and picture)

Figure 6.6:  Heritage Coasts: White Cliffs of Dover; Three Cliffs Bay, Gower and Southwold Beach, Suffolk

Figure 6.7:  Rother Valley Country Park (map)

 Figure 6.8:  Nature Reserves: RSPB at Sandy and Fowlmere, and Little Paxton

 

Figure 7.1:  Public Footpaths: Friday Street, Surrey;  Stonor, Buckinghamshire and Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire

Figure 7.2:  Long-distance Footpaths in Kent (map)

Figure 7.3:  National Trails in England and Wales (map)

Figure 7.4:  Long-distance Routes in Scotland, 2007 (map and table)

Figure 7.5: Long-distance Waymarked Walks in Northern Ireland, 2007(map and table)

Figure 7.6: The Hadrian’s Wall Path (map and picture)

Figure 7.7:  Right of access to the waterway

Figure 7.8:  The beach and foreshore at Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon

Figure 7.9:  Portholme, Huntingdon

 

Figure 8.1: Components of Rural Tourism Destinations

Figure 8.2: Alternative vs Mass Tourism

Figure 8.3: Alnwick garden – The tree House and Grand Cascade

Figure 8.4: Principles of Sustainable Tourism

Figure 8.5: Natural England priorities

Figure 8.6: A Tourism Environment Management System

Figure 8.7: The new National Forest and the 12 community forests in England (map)

Figure 8.8: Marston Community Forest, Bedfordshire

Figure 8.9:  Parking in York

Figure 8.10: Coach park at Stonehenge

Figure 8.11: Tarka Line Train at Exeter station

Figure 8.12:  Stonehenge overflow carpark

Figure 8.13:  Park and Ride in Cambridge

Figure 8.14:  Settle-Carlisle Railway (map)

 

Figure 9.1: The New Country Code for England

Figure 9.2: Guide for the Green Tourist

Figure 9.3:  Snowdon Footpaths – Stonework protects the edge of the path from erosion

Figure 9.4:  Tarn Howes, the Lake District –  signs are used to manage walkers

Figure 9.5:  Marston Millennium Centre, Bedford

Figure 9.6:  Re-enactment: Romans at Kelmarsh Hall; Civil War at Bridford Fete, Devon and 1st World War experience, Kelmarsh Hall

Figure 9.6  Visitor Management - Lake Windermere, and Quad bike, Thetford Forest

Top of page

List of Tables

Table 1.1: Overseas Visitors to the UK, 1980 – 2006

Table 1.2: Top Ten Destination Countries for Tourism, 2004-2006

Table 1.3: UK Visits and Expenditure Abroad, 1980-2006

Table 1.4: Distribution of all UK Residents’ Tourism Trips in England, 2005-2006

 

Table 2.1:  National Criteria for Rural Settlements

 

Table 3.1: Volume of Trips to the Countryside, 1984-1989

Table 3.2: Proportion of People Making Trips to the Countryside 1984-1989

Table 3.3: Share of Visits to the Countryside,1984-1990

Table 3.4: Countryside Trip-making by Car Ownership, 1985 vs 2005

Table 3.5: Countryside Visits and Social Class

Table 3.6: Participation in Countryside Recreation Activities

Table 3.7: Motivation for Last Trip from Home to the Countryside

Table 3.8: Participation in Countryside Recreation Activities, 2002-3 & 2005

 

Table 4.1: National Parks in England, Wales & Scotland, 2007 map

 

Table 5.1: Forestry Commission Recreation Facilities On-site, 2006

Table 5.2: Length of BWB Waterways by Region

Table 5.3: Boats Registered & Licensed in England & Wales, 2005-6

 

Table 6.1: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, England & Wales, 2007

Table 6.2: Heritage Coasts in England and Wales

Table 6.3: Regional Distribution of Country Parks, 2007

Table 6.4: ESAs in England, 2007

 

Table 7.1: Walking in the Countryside3

Table 7.2: The Public Rights of Way Network

Table 7.3: National Trails in England and Wales, 2007

Top of page

List of Case Studies

Chapter One

1.  The Beamish Open-air Museum

2.  Center Parcs – Tourism in the Countryside?

 

Chapter Two

1.  Windfarms – Environmentally Friendly Power Generation?

2.  The Cairngorm Funicular Railway

 

Chapter Three

1.  Motivations of Visitors to the Whitehouse Farm, Northumberland

2.  The Hop Farm Country Park

 

Chapter Four

1.  The Council for National Parks

2.  National Parks in Scotland

 

Chapter Five

1.  Countryside Organisations in the Lake District

 

Chapter Six

1.  The New Forest – a new National Park

2.  The North Pennines Partnership

3.  Rother Valley Country Park

 

Chapter Seven

1.  Rights of Way in Kent

2.  The Hadrian’s Wall Path

3.  CROW (2000) and Access to Open Countryside1

 

Chapter Eight

1.  The Lake District Tourism and Conservation Partnership8

2.  The Marston Vale Community Forest

3.  The Settle – Carlisle Railway

 

Chapter Nine

1.  The Windermere Speed Limit

 

 

List of Debates

Chapter 1.  Is there a Rural Tourism?

 

Chapter 2.  Can there be Sustainable Rural Tourism Development?

 

Chapter 3.  What motivates Rural Tourists?

 

Chapter 4.  National Parks in Scotland

 

Chapter 6.  Has Land Designation achieved its purpose?

 

Chapter 7.  “Free access to its undeveloped coastline should be the birthright of an island race.”

 

Chapter 7.  Freedom to Roam or Rights of Way?

 

Chapter 8.  Is Public Transport the “Way Forward”?

 

Chapter 9.  Should the Countryside be Priced?

 

Top of page

 

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