Camping wild and free on Dartmoor
Exercising our fragile, threatened right to sleep under the stars, we hike high on to the moor before pitching our tent in the fading light.
G and I camped wild on Dartmoor for the first time when he was just five years old. Since then we’ve returned twice more: last year and this. It’s becoming a ritual, one which draws us deeper into the romance of walking and sleeping on the wild, free moor.
Dulcie in The Offing by Benjamin Myers
On our very first visit, we caught the train to Ivybridge then hiked up. We didn’t venture far – G was young and I was laden with gear – but it was a memorable trip. The evening brought us distant views of sparkling sea as we pitched our tent, and the following morning brought us a thunderstorm as we scurried back down to the station. The experience sparked G’s love for Dartmoor and we vowed to return.
Last year, we did return. But things had changed: since our previous trip, wealthy landowner and hedge fund manager Alexander Darwall had challenged the by-laws of the Dartmoor Commons Act, and the right to wild camp on the moor. He won his case, then lost on appeal. Amidst the upheaval, the Dartmoor National Park Authority had contracted the pink area on its map showing where wild camping was permitted. So instead of heading again to Ivybridge, we drove to Shipley Bridge and walked up the old tramway.