'They don't like girls hanging around there': conflicts over recreational space in rural Northamptonshire

This paper provides new insights into girls' use of recreational spaces wit hin rural areas. We draw upon data from in-depth discussion work with 10-14 year old girls undertaken in rural Northamptonshire to show how conflict b etween adults and children, rival groups of children, and boys and girls in fluences the social ownership of recreational spaces. in contrast to the ru ral childhood myth, we disclose geographies of anxiety, tension and disharm ony.