Press Release

Vote for me: icons seek the public vote

12 September 2008

A list of the top 25 countryside icons was created for public vote this week from a selection by award winning authors, journalists, photographers and filmmakers including Alan Titchmarsh, Alice Temperley, Michael Palin, Kevin Spacey and Sebastian Faulks. Their diverse nominations include Land's End, crags, canal boating and post boxes.

The top 25 were drawn from 70 icons featured in a new book, Icons of England, published this week by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), which pays homage to the stunning countryside and the historic monuments and locations that set this country apart from the rest of the world.

All the icons can be viewed and voted for online, at www.cpre.org.uk

CPRE are asking the public to help choose the number one favourite icon of the countryside – either from the 25 selected or by nominating something new.

Bill Bryson, President of CPRE said: ‘With difficulty we chose 25 countryside icons for the public vote. And if we have missed out on an important icon then people can nominate a new one.’

Those who take part in the online poll will be entered into a free draw to win one of 5 copies of the book Icons of England signed by Bill Bryson, CPRE President and contributor to the book.

Bill Bryson concluded: ‘There is much to celebrate about our wonderful countryside and we would urge everyone with a love of that countryside to forget, for a moment, about the credit crunch or similarly weighty subjects, and help us celebrate what makes this Island a unique and special place to live.’

Vote for an icon at www.cpre.org.uk