Travel & lifesT yle Wild Camping Banned in Dartmoor National Park

Radford

Located in the moorlands of Devon, the Dartmoor National Park hosts wild ponies, rushing rivers, and protected ancient woodland. It has been a place of both comfort and importance for those who seek to wild camp in England. Until recently, Dartmoor was the only place in England where wild camping (defined as camping in the countryside rather than a campsite) was legal. Towards the end of 2022, prominent landowner, Alex Darwall, went to court looking to ban wild camping across Dartmoor, effectively banning it nationwide.

Darwall, who owns a 3,450-acre estate in Dartmoor, has argued that wild camping was never legal as “open air recreation” doesn’t include camping. However, both campaign groups, such as Right2Roam and the Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) have fought back against this. A spokesperson for the park pointed out that the 1985 Dartmoor commons act, from which Darwall has used the phrase “open air recreation”, was made to be as open as possible, therefore including wild camping. Groups, such as Right2Roam, held protests by the royal courts of justice and group hikes, for wild camping to be upheld and expanded.

Right2Roam actively seeks to promote activities like wild camping and demand greater and more equitable access to the countryside for all.

They state that access to our land and nature is a right, and that “the stars are for everyone”.

They look to Scotland as an example of how laws on trespassing and wild camping can be undone. In 2003, the Scotland Land Reform Act restored the right to wild camp, roam and swim across Scotland. They also look to show the benefits of enjoying and being in nature. For example, access to nature brings benefits to mental and physical health as well as supporting positive behaviour towards the environment.

This issue of wild camping goes hand in hand with the issue of roaming across England, as ninety-two per cent of the land is privately owned. This means that those who walk on this land without permission can be fined up to £2,500 and forcibly removed from the land. This, now total, ban on wild camping will inevitably backfire on landowners, protest groups argue, as there is a growing momentum across the nation for the right to wild camp.

A final decision was reached on 13th January, in favour of Alex Darwall, leading to an outright ban of wild camping across England. This has created anger among many, with protest groups such as Right2Roam seeking to overturn this decision, stating that any deal made would not be accepted. One of the group’s leaders said ‘This is a very real example of how, if we don’t fight for our right to access nature, it