THE Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall joined hundreds of picnickers in Exmoor National Park on Wednesday for a special celebration marking 70 years since the 1949 Act of Parliament which established UK national parks.

The National Parks Big Picnic saw more than 500 people gather in Simonsbath’s riverside meadows at the heart of Exmoor’s former Royal Forest.

The royal couple were greeted by leaders from the UK’s national parks and also met groups such as the Exmoor Society and Exmoor Hill Farming Network, children from Exford First School and local producers and craftspeople.

They were presented with a hamper of Exmoor produce to enjoy at home.

All attendees received a souvenir programme with a foreword by the Prince of Wales: “However much our lives, and those of our children, may change in the future, the basic human need for peace, beauty and spiritual refreshment from engaging closely with the natural world will, i believe, remain every bit as important as it was 70 years ago.”

The centrepiece of the party was the unveiling of a cake inspired by the diverse landscapes of the UK’s 15 national parks – from rugged mountains and vast open moorland to soft rolling hills, meandering wetlands and dramatic coastline.

Special guests included Niall Hobhouse, whose grandfather Sir Arthur Hobhouse pioneered the 1947 report which paved the way for the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act and the creation of national parks.

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