ABSTRACT
Many changes have taken place in the British countryside since the early postwar policies were forged. Suburban commuter residential development, roads and transport, people seeking recreation, the changing economy, forestry, conservation, and a host of other pressures have grown beyond any expectation. The changes show no sign of abating: they never have. The British countryside has been subject to continual change: the ‘natural’ scenery which is now the concern of conservationists is the human-made result of earlier economic change. The changes continue: the most recent are those which come with the crisis in the agricultural industry, and with the growth of both population and economic activity.
