The Peak District national park has urged the public not to visit as its car parks began to fill up on the first weekend since coronavirus lockdown measures were partially eased in England.
The park authority said the Langsett area at its north-eastern edge was “extremely busy” on Saturday morning, making physical distancing difficult.
Visitors flocked to the area despite people being asked to “think carefully” before visiting national parks and beaches.
Peak District park bosses tweeted on Saturday morning:
⚠️ Saturday 16 May: Visitor Update, Langsett
— Peak District National Park (@peakdistrict) May 16, 2020
This area is reported to be extremely busy with car parks currently full and social distancing difficult. Please don't travel to the area or park outside of designated bays.
🅿️ 🚘 ✅ Thank you pic.twitter.com/kpHqrC0WNB
Elsewhere in England, tourism chiefs cautiously opened their doors to visitors at some other national parks and beaches, but warned that people may be turned away if hotspots become too busy.
Good weather is expected to draw many people to their favourite beauty spots over the weekend after the UK government allowed unlimited travel for outdoor exercise or sunbathing.
While some parks, including the Lake District, have repeatedly urged visitors to stay away, others were warily welcoming them back.
The South Downs national park, on the south coast of England, said people could enjoy its rolling hills and chalk cliffs but that they must “observe the three Rs by exercising restraint, responsibility and respect”. It urged people to avoid the popular hotspots and to stay 2 metres away from anyone not in the same household.
The National Trust, which oversees 500 historic houses, castles, parks and gardens in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and nearly 800 miles of coastline, was preparing to reopen its larger car parks in England next week after opening more than 250 smaller ones since Wednesday.
Hilary McGrady, its director general, said it was taking “baby steps” to reopen its properties, but urged people to enjoy local attractions instead of travelling long distances this weekend.
“There are lots of beautiful green spaces close to people, within a half-hour drive time, but this is about respect and people taking care of themselves and care of each other,” she said.
In Devon, a number of council-run car parks were set to reopen to allow people to enjoy beaches in the South Hams. However, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution said there would be no lifeguards at any of the 240 beaches it normally patrols this weekend, and called for people to think carefully before going near or into the water.
In Yorkshire, tourism bosses were expecting an increase in visitors to its most popular countryside walks in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, where car parks and some public toilets were reopening this weekend.
James Mason, the chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said it would be “foolish” not to anticipate a rise in visitors but added that it was “not yet safe” or advisable for people to flock en masse to their favourite spots.
He said: “Our advice would be clear: think twice about why you’re going [and] think twice about the experience that you’re going to have. It won’t be the same experience that you would have had in the past.
“We’re asking people to just maybe modify their thinking and find natural beauty on your doorstep, and wait until we’re encouraging you back in the next few months.”
In the seaside towns of Whitby, Scarborough and Filey, which have attracted day-trippers for more than a century, local leaders urged people to stay away on Friday, warning that roads would be closed if they became too busy.
Richard Leafe, the chief executive of the Lake District national park, said on Friday its message was: “Don’t rush back to the Lake District.”
He added: “Normally at this time of year we could expect around 2 million people coming to the national park. If people come in those numbers, that’s going to cause real concern in the communities that live and work in Cumbria about an increase in transmission of the disease.”
The tourism service Visit Weston-super-Mare has changed its promotional slogan to “don’t visit Weston-super-Mare” on social media and urged people not to visit the seaside town in Somerset.
In a video posted on Twitter on Wednesday, it told people: “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
In Brighton, the local council is asking people to stay away from its seafront.
Carmen Appich, the chairwoman of Brighton and Hove city council’s tourism, equalities, communities and culture committee, said: “If thousands of people travel to our city on a sunny day and don’t or are unable to maintain safe physical distancing because of overcrowding, this increases the risk of a Covid outbreak and puts everyone at risk.”
Meanwhile, authorities in Wales have been reminding the public that lockdown measures are different there and people should avoid all non-essential travel.