AROUND 40 right to roam campaigners scaled a wall blocking a former entrance to the Duke of Norfolk's Arundel estate.

They chose yesterday, the first day of spring, to challenge the Duke to reopen the entrance at the northern end of his 1,100-acre park.

It was blocked when the 6ft high wall was built shortly before Christmas.

Walkers argue blocking the public entrance demonstrates the flaws in seeking voluntary agreements on access as they press for statutory rights to roam.

Dave Bangs, of protest organisers The Land Is Ours said some landowners would continue to deny the public access to the countryside unless they were forced to by law.

He said blocking the most northerly entrance to the park, at Whiteways Lodge, stopped many people from walking on the estate.

He said: "This is one of the most magnificent landscapes on the whole of the South Downs."

Paul Millmore, who sits on the Sussex Downs Conservation Board, said only 3.8 per cent of the Downs is currently accessible to the public.

Nearly 50 per cent would be if the right to roam became law.

Criticising voluntary agreements, he said: "This guy gave it voluntarily and he has taken it away voluntarily. We have no rights."

Peter Knight, who manages the Duke's estate, said the park was open at the discretion of the Duke and there were other entrances to the park.

He said: "One hundred thousand people visit Swanbourne Lake each year so I don't think we are actually denying public access.

"There are five other entrances people can go through."

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