Away from the hamlets and farms that dot the edge of it, the high moor on Dartmoor is a wild and solitary place, especially overnight and in the early morning. But if you like that sort of thing, you might be well-advised to make the most of it while you can. As a result of an unfortunate decision from the Supreme Court yesterday, the solitude may not last much longer.
The peculiarity of Dartmoor is that even though it looks like a public space, most of it is privately owned. The land is looked after by a mixture of large estate owners, farmers and others. Public access, for centuries tolerated by tradition, was in 1985 confirmed by an Act of Parliament specifically permitting anyone to access on foot and horseback for recreational purposes.
Allowing all and sundry to camp as of right will forever change the character of the moor
But there was a catch.
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