In hope of a bright future for our national parks

At experts came the height of the Second World War, a group of remarkable together for the first time.

- John Craven

Their brief- an optimistic one - was to plan for a better future; to propose how the wilder areas of our countryside should be protected once the conflict was over.

Among these was architect and civil servant John Dower, a weekend rambler and fly-fisher born in Ilkley, in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

His great vision was of beautiful landscapes strictly preserved for the nation's benefit, with access for "public open-air enjoyment", and safeguards for wildlife, farming and historic buildings. Sadly, he did not see his dream become a reality. At the age of 47, four years before the first national park was established in the Peak District in 1951, Dower died from tuberculosis.

John Dower is high on my list of countryside heroes, and 80 years on from his original concept, his legacy is there for all of us to cherish - 15 national parks across Great Britain, covering around 10% of the land surface, with potentially three more now in the offing, one each in England, Scotland and Wales.