The UK rural economy has experienced a
period of particularly rapid change over the
last 30 years. Encapsulated by the concept
of rural diversification, traditional economic
activities, like agriculture, have declined markedly
in importance, especially as sources of employment
opportunity. At the same time, a new
wave of rural economic activities has emerged,
spearheaded by the expansion of service
industries, such as leisure and tourism, and
the ruralisation of traditionally urban-based
manufacturing. Rural areas can thus no
longer be viewed as economic backwaters, but
need to be recognised as investment frontiers
for a wide range of sectors (Murdoch
& Marsden 1994). Rural diversification has
attracted considerable support from the new
UK Regional Development Agencies and constitutes
a major theme of the latest Rural White
Paper (Department of the Environment Transport
and the Regions 2000), with policy makers