Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE)
The Council for the Preservation of Rural England (CPRE) was established in 1926. The Council saw itself as the guardian of the countryside, campaigning against threats to it. The CPRE had constituent and affiliated bodies, as well as county and local branches throughout England.
In 1969 the name of the Council was changed to The Council for the Protection of Rural England to reflect a change in approach to its activities.
In 2003 the name of the Council was again changed to The Campaign to Protect Rural England, aiming to promote the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and county.
The archive contains minute books, annual reports, administrative records, publications, maps, exhibition and promotional material, watercolours, press cuttings and photographic records, and is split across four deposits.
More information
- Full descriptions are available on our online database: SR CPRE, SR 2CPRE, SR 3CPRE & SR 4CPRE.
- Handlists for each deposit of the collection can be found here: SR CPRE, SR 2CPRE, SR 3CPRE& SR 4CPRE.
- See also the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s website.
- See also Watercolour World’s website for images attributed to John Paget, which form part of our collection (SR CPRE G)
Associated collections
Friends of the Lake District (SR FLD)
The Friends of the Lake District was established in 1934. The organisation also represents the CPRE in Cumbria. The collection covers the period from 1934 to 2002. The records are divided into five parts which include minute books, reports and newsletters, magazines, publications, and other miscellaneous documents.
A full description is available on our online database.
A handlist for the whole collection can be found here.
See also the Friends of the Lake District website.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Branch of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (SR CPRH)
The collection covers the period from 1960 to 1985. Records include minute books, annual reports, and publicity material.
A full description is available on our online database.
A handlist for the whole collection can be found here.
See also the CPRE Hampshire website.
The Hertfordshire Society (SR DX 1031)
The Hertfordshire Society incorporates the Hertfordshire Branch of the Council for the Protection of Rural England and was founded in 1936. The collection covers the period 1973 to 1982, and includes annual accounts, reports, and a leaflet relating to Hertfordshire’s Best Kept Village Competition.
A full description is available on our online database.
A handlist for the whole collection can be found here.
See also the CPRE Hertforshire website.
Lancashire Branch of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England (SR DX 1033)
The Lancashire branch of the CPRE was established in 1933 to protect the countryside of Lancashire. The collection covers the period from 1931 to 1982. Records include annual reports, minutes, CPRE publications, publications by the CPRE and Samlesbury Hall Trust, and other miscellaneous papers.
A full description is available on our online database.
A handlist for the whole collection is available here.
See also the CPRE Lancashire website.
Norfolk Branch of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England (SR DX 1032)
The Norfolk branch of the CPRE was established in 1933. In 1972 the CPRE Norfolk merged with the Norfolk Association of Amenity Societies to form the Norfolk Society. The Norfolk Society has since changed its name back to its original name CPRE Norfolk. The junior branch was established in 1964. The collection consists of CPRE Norfolk magazines from 1965-1983.
A full description is available on our online database.
A handlist for the whole collection is available here.
See also the CPRE Norfolk website.
Penn Country Branch Council for the Protection of Rural England (SR PENN; SR 2PENN; SR 3PENN)
The Penn Country Branch of the CPRE was formed in 1930. The entire collection spans the period from 1930 to 2005. The records are split across three deposits.
Full descriptions are available on our online database: SR PENN, SR 2PENN, SR 3PENN
Handlists for each deposit of the collection can be found here: SR PENN, SR 2PENN, SR 3PENN
Sheffield and Peak District Branch of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (SR SHPK; SR 2SHPK)
The records consist mainly of publications of the society and other local organisations, together with the display panels for an exhibition, ‘Save the Countryside’, mounted in 1937. The records are split across two deposits.
Handlists for each deposit of the collection can be found here: SR SHPK & SR 2SHPK .
See also the Friends of the Peak District website.
Shell/CPRE Oral History archive (SR DX 151)
The collection consists of interviews with a few of the leading lights in the early years of the environmental movement, including involvement with the Council for the Protection of Rural England. Interviews were conducted in 1988-9 by senior officers of the CPRE. The project to make the interviews was sponsored by Shell. There are cassette tape recordings and transcripts. For most interviews are available. In two instances only the tape or the transcript has been deposited.
A handlist for the whole collection can be found here.
Looking for a specific item?
We are regularly updating the collections that we publish on our website but if you are after something specific that you can't find online, then drop by for a visit or feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help you.