Walkers will be able to enjoy more than half a million hectares of the most spectacular landscapes in England when the right of open access is launched in northern England this weekend (May 28).

Large swathes of mountain, moor, heath, down and registered common land previously off limits to walkers, will be declared open during a ceremony at the picturesque Ribblehead valley in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales.

The valley sits in the middle of three famous peaks, Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-Gent - much of which is classified as new, open access land.

The bank holiday weekend also marks the beginning of the right of access in Wales and will be marked by a special ceremony at the Life Centre, near Ogmore Vale, South Wales.

Rural Affairs Minister Jim Knight will join special guest Doug Scott, the first Briton to climb Mount Everest, at the launch next to the spectacular Ribblehead Viaduct on the historic Settle to Carlisle railway line.

They will then take full advantage of their new right by setting off across the moors with hundreds of other enthusiastic walkers.

The upper North West and North East regions are the fourth and fifth to open in England in a staged roll out of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act passed by Parliament in 2000.

The first two regions, the Lower North West and the South East opened in September followed by Central Southern England in December.

Numerous smaller events are being held across northern England, many organised by local access forums, to give walkers a chance to celebrate closer to home.

Jim Knight said: "The Yorkshire Dales offers some of the best walking in the country and spectacular Ribblehead valley is a perfect location to mark the opening of the latest and by far the biggest area of access land.

"The Upper North West and North East comprises of no fewer than four national parks so this is a great opportunity for everyone who loves our countryside to put their boots on and get out and enjoy it.

"But it is important to repeat the message that people must act responsibly when exercising their new right especially during the bird nesting season."

Carl Lis, chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said: "This is an historic day for the Yorkshire Dales National Park because it means people can explore even more of this wonderful area than they could before.

"At the moment only four per cent of the park is open access land but that figure will rocket to 62 per cent following our launch at Ribblehead on Saturday - that's more than 100,000 extra hectares for walkers to enjoy. We see the new right of open access as a real benefit to the park and we're looking forward to working with all those it affects to ensure that its introduction is as smooth as possible."

Tayo Adebowale, of the Countryside Agency, said: "We want to encourage everyone to get out, explore, and enjoy the countryside available for them. The area that is being opened at the end of this month is rich in wildlife, and has some of the most beautiful and dramatic landscapes in the north of England.

"Of course, with the new rights come new responsibilities, so it is important to follow the Countryside Code, and any local signs which may limit where one can walk or take a dog."

Nick Barrett, chief executive of the Ramblers Association, said: "May 28 is going to be a very special day with some spectacular walking areas opening up for the very first time. Not only will there be unprecedented access to some of Wales' most beautiful countryside but the public can also look forward to walking in some of England's most rugged windswept uplands and get away from it all.

"For many the joy of walking is about getting off the beaten track; everyone in this country now has a right to do that and I hope that people will take the opportunity to discover these beautiful areas for themselves."

Sir Martin Doughty, chairman of English Nature, said: "From heather moorland to limestone crags, never before has the public had such an opportunity to explore fantastic wildlife habitats. We are working to ensure that landowners are given the support they need to enable public access and England's wildlife to flourish alongside each other."

* The rolling programme which will see new rights of open access delivered throughout England by the end of this year under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The programme began in the South East on 19th September 2004. The North East and Upper North West are the fourth and fifth regions to come on line and this happens on 28th May 2005.

* The area of land to be opened up runs from the Scottish Border down to York in the east and Kendal in the west and from the west to the east coast.

* Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CRoW), the Countryside Agency was tasked with the mapping of all areas of open country and registered common land. It estimates that over 1 million hectares (400 square miles) of land in England will be mapped by the time all open access arrangements are completed at the end of this year. Of this total, some 800,000 ha (3,200 square miles) will be land which up until now has had no statutory rights of access. In the North East and Upper North West a total of 569,942 ha has been mapped and this includes 142,214 ha and 427,728 ha of access land respectively in each area. Much of the land covered by the National Parks is included within this mapped area.