The Commons Act 1876, which spelt the death knell for the parliamentary inclosure of common land in England and Wales, is being commemorated by the Open Spaces Society, formerly the Commons Preservation Society, which played a part in its enactment. Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society, said: "The Commons Act 1876 made a significant difference to commons, which are places of immense public value but which had been relentlessly attacked by the inclosure movement. "This Act was an important step on the way to recognising that commons matter to us all, and subsequent legislation has developed this further." The Act introduced national regulation of common land in the public interest, allowing for the appointment of conservators and the creation of bylaws. It also slowed the inclosures of common land to a trickle, which eventually ceased in the early twentieth century, and made it a public nuisance to encroach on or inclose a town or village green.