Landscapes In Britain

A recent MORI survey reveals the pivotal role that the countryside plays in the life of the British public. The majority of British adults believe that being able to visit the countryside from time to time is important to their quality of life. For one in ten adults, visiting the countryside is not an optional extra, but is crucial to their quality of life.

Amongst those for whom the countryside is important, almost half say that it benefits them through the 'peace and quiet' offered. Other popular benefits are 'fresh air' and to enable people to 'get close to nature'.

The research also reveals that people value country areas and parks close to where they live, and which they can enjoy every day more than they value spectacular landscapes such as the Peak District or Lake District. Access to local green spaces is particularly important to those aged 25-44, the group most likely to have young children. Indeed, eight in ten (83%) British adults show concern about their children's access to the countryside. They believe that children might miss out on happy experiences because they are not free to spend time outdoors whenever they want.

Amongst the GB population, development, urban sprawl (41%) and the environmental impacts (37%) of activities such as intensive farming and pollution are seen as the biggest threats to the countryside.

Technical details

Questions were placed on MORI's Omnibus, which interviews a nationally representative quota sample of 2,031 adults (aged 15+) throughout Great Britain across 200 sampling points.

Interviews were carried out using CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing), face-to-face in respondents' homes. Interviewing took place 15th - 20th January 2004.