When the owners of the 4,000-acre Blachford estate in Dartmoor, a vast moorland in south-west England, recently won the right to exclude campers from their land, it demonstrated how fragile the right to enjoy Britain’s countryside is.
For the time being, an agreement between landowners and the national park means that wild camping will still be allowed, but with the permission of landowners only. Until access rights are properly protected by law, and recognised as important by everyone, wild campers would be advised not to make themselves too comfortable.
