Wild camping permitted on Dartmoor https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwywwq5zkqwo

The judgement, external centred on the interpretation of the 1985 Dartmoor Commons Act that states "the public shall have a right of access to the commons on foot and horseback for the purpose of open-air recreation" which judges said were "open-ended and unqualified" and "naturally includes camping".

Yep, just about to post that

"The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of wild camping on Dartmoor. A right that was under threat has been upheld. For now, the last place in England where people can legally sleep under the stars, without payment or permission, remains open to all.

This is a powerful and heartening moment. But it’s also a wake-up call. While Dartmoor has been defended, this case has exposed just how fragile and limited our access to nature truly is. That a single wealthy landowner could challenge, and nearly overturn, generations of public access speaks volumes about the imbalance in our system.

It should never have come down to a courtroom. But it did, and that tells us everything we need to know.

Now, it’s time for meaningful, lasting change. We need new legislation to restore, protect, and expand our right to responsibly roam, swim, and wild camp across England, not just on Dartmoor, but through forests, along rivers, over hills, and in wild spaces nationwide. We draw inspiration from the freedoms enjoyed for decades in Scotland and Scandinavia. And we’re committed to making that vision a reality here.

The Right to Roam campaign is leading that fight - and we’re just getting started.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Join our rally on Dartmoor. The Stars Are For Everyone and Right to Roam have been planning our response, and we’ve organised a rally for this coming Bank Holiday Monday the 26th May. If you are able, get yourself down to Dartmoor to raise your voices in support of access to the countryside and for the right to sleep under the stars

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dartmoor-r ... tdtcreator

I wonder if there'll end up being a bit of Streisand Effect in all this. All the publicity may mean there's likely to be more wild campers there in future years (and more of the issues that come with fly camping) than if the landowner hadn't chellenged the right.

jameso wrote: ↑Wed May 21, 2025 3:10 pm I wonder if there'll end up being a bit of Streisand Effect in all this. All the publicity may mean there's likely to be more wild campers there in future years (and more of the issues that come with fly camping) than if the landowner hadn't chellenged the right.

Quite possible James though I think those who fly camp aren't the ones likely to follow legal proceedings around what you can and can't do. Cumbria CC/police/NT/LDNP issued their first fine last month regarding fly camping.

A second bit of bad news for the Darwalls: the recent land inheritance tax changes will have affected their tax avoidance scheme.

A second bit of bad news for the Darwalls: the recent land inheritance tax changes will have affected their tax avoidance scheme.

Oh, how sad

Agree with everything the Right to Roam campaign had to say really, a victory that shouldn't have been necessary, but at least for this case that should be the final word. In the meantime i'll continue to wander and sleep where I choose in a responsible fashion, until such time as the law catches up! Ditto with using footpaths for riding sometimes, i'll keep b*ggering along until access laws actually make sense.