This paper investigates the genealogy of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The paper places the legislation within a broader, historical context and examines the social and legislative changes which prepared the way for a ‘right to roam’. The article also analyses the effect of civil disobedience and pressure group politics, questioning whether the new right of access is a victory for the access lobby, a compromise between conflicting interests or the product of an emerging political consensus.