Well, maybe those Darth-evils have something to hide and want to keep people away..? How cruel and self-serving they must be - wanting to take people's rights, freedom and nature away! As they make me so disgusted, I'll rather focus on something much more positive - your beautiful, tranquil, meditative shots as well as logical and calm analysis of this situation. Great video, George! 💚x

I've only ever been to Dartmoor to camp, the hiking is secondary, a means to get me to a purple zone and away from other people.

I am from Canada love wild camping.

Looking at what has happened at the Suisgill Estate which the Darwalls also own I would guess their plan is to introduce some kind of commercial tourist lodges - glamping wherever possible along with hunting and shooting, said lodges costing some £500+ per week rent at Suissgill. Also worth consideration is the possibility of Lithium mining in the longer term as lots of geological surveys have indicated its presence in and around the old tin workings. The whole issue of litter etc came about due to covid imo as people couldn't travel very far or abroad leading to 'inexperienced' campers etc creating this problem. Considering camping is mentioned in the relevant byelaws my opinion would be that the byelaws intended from the start to include camping as a recreational activity and that this should preclude the banning of the activity in question. As the lawmakers sympathised with the Darwalls predicament regards rubbish etc and suggested the DNPA may want to consider what actions it could or should take to mitigate further anticipated issues regards litter and accessible parking too it may well prove beneficial to the DNPA's case to outline or draft a mitigation plan for all concerned parties.

I think this was your best Non Podcast yet. In a time when our rights are being wrenched from us in every walk of life we must all choose on which hill we will make our stand. If this is yours then the best of luck to you.. I hope ,one day, our paths cross on The Moor.

Well said. The voice of reason. Coming across Stall Moor stone row appearing out of the mist was one of the most magical sights of Dartmoor I will never forget.

ChatGPT refers to open air recreation as "Open air recreation refers to leisure activities or sports that take place outdoors, typically in natural settings such as parks, forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, or beaches. These activities often involve physical exertion and may include hiking, camping, backpacking, fishing, cycling, kayaking, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, birdwatching, picnicking, and more. Open air recreation provides opportunities for people to connect with nature, engage in physical exercise, relax, and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. It can be pursued individually, with friends or family, or as part of organized groups or clubs"

Thanks George...I didn't know that people's freedoms were under attack again on Dartmoor. I wish it were as simple as the Darwalls (not spelt right, and don't care) see that some parts of Dartmoor already don't allow camping, so they want the same rights. Is it as simple as they're rich, and want their own way? More than likely. There's an additional truth imho, which when I express it, upsets the algorithm...and my comment vanishes. Let's just say that there's an exclusive 'club' that knows Dartmoor's secrets, that requires the land be free of pesky, furtive campers, who secrete themselves away during the hours of darkness... and risk seeing something they're really not supposed to see. I appreciate your balanced video on the dilemma, and I think it's more heartfelt than most that will follow...I sense a genuine sadness in you, which is present in people who really love the place.

I am now fully informed of what’s going on … thanks .

Beautifully and eloquently explained to all again. I agree with you with regards the hunting, for me the issue is much closer to the Free Port status announced at roughly the same time as the issue around camping started. I can't put my finger on it fully but I'm guessing this is some kind of tax fiddle. I don't have the time or resources (or understanding) to look into this properly, but that is my theory as to why he'd spend hundreds of thousands continuing this battle.

have a great place for you to visit, Heckwood Quarry, not allowed there but you can sneak across the river and back, it is the old quarry for the breakwater, lots of interesting things there, bellow Vixen Tor

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m a teacher and DofE leader who has taken groups of students to Dartmoor for their Gold expeditions. I’m taking a group of teachers wild camping next weekend and this will be their first time wild camping. I can’t wait! I’m also taking 27 students to Dartmoor in June and have found it much more challenging this year to find suitable places for them to camp. The area we can camp on the South moor is so much smaller than it used to be and that is such a shame. It’s so frustrating that one person with money could make such an impact on something that has been taking place for years. Fly campers need to take some of the blame, lighting fires and leaving rubbish doesn’t help our cause. If we can’t camp on Dartmoor then I’ll have to take students to Wales.

Another great 'not a podcast' George. I had no idea that New waste was locked. That was the starting point for the O.A.T.S walk, South to North in a day across Dartmoor, moons ago.

Beautifully shot.

I wonder if those people want to build houses there once public access is banned. Those types worship money.

Excellent "Plodcast" sir. I do question who's side the DNPA are on . I remember some time back, when they were attempting to reduce the "wild camping" area......then stopped as Mr D brought his case. But the new revised area was that which they had proposed prior to the case......a little odd don't you think. ! I don't believe in coincidence. Any how.....they will loose I'm glad to say, one way or another.

New subscriber here , I think 🤔 it is on a razors edge camping on our loved open moorland .. but not all is lost in the battle, you always save the trump card till last .

THIS type of thing (among many others) has me very apprehensive about moving to the United Kingdom. Luckily Scotland seems to be a bit better on this...for now.

i agree it’s totally about control, and the maintenance of the class divide. The is a certain type of rich person that thinks they own this country and we just exist in it at their convenience .

Wonderful stuff👍

Thank you for the update . atb

Another great video thanks for sharing it. I was watching it on a wild camp a slight segment may appear on one of my videoes in the background. Would that be OK 👍🏻 Thanks again

I feel quite postive about all the Supreme Court stuff actually. There is a part of me that wonders if this is all a smoke screen, actually they are trying to encourage 'backpack' camping (don't like the term 'wild' much), certainly encouraged interest in it after the first court case (although quite why they would do this I haven't worked out yet, leave it with me 🤣)! I don't really understand why they don't just prevent camping on their land, why try to affect the whole moor, that doesn't make sense, is it a power thing?? Anyway what is 'wild' or 'backpack' camping but outdoor recreation, it's certainly not indoor recreation and surely there are only two options here, indoor or outdoor????? (unless you are putting up new kit for the first time to see what it's like!). My concern is, as seemed to happen a bit after the DNPA won the appeal, that those people who didn't know you could before, suddenly go, 'oh goody, anyone can camp on Dartmoor' rush up onto the moor and don't comply with the (as you say) reasonable rules and it all gets messy and the moor damaged, a bit like what happened during Covid! The other thing that I keep thinking about is that people 'wild' camp all over the country quite happily abiding by the LNT rules and don't get into trouble, so even if the DW won (which I don't think they will, it's an election year (not sure what that's got to do with it really)) those of us who LNT will still be doing it, just not publishing our activities. Personally I think change is in the air (I am a pessimist by nature normally but....) and the time will come in the not too distant future where England (and Wales) will enjoy more 'rights to roam' than we currently do, I cannot express why I think this, maybe because of the enmous interest and ourpouring of angst after the first court case, this won't be allowed to let lie, especially if they win the appeal. Sorry I do find it difficult to be succinct, do like a good ramble (physical and verbal) 😉🤣🤣🤣. A postscript. Maybe they want to hold raves up on the moor and don't want us riff raff gatecrashing..... just a thought 🤣 Enjoyed this George as always. Thank you.

I liked the interviews with the two Sith Lords, or Mr and Mrs Darewall as you call them

Fitting to see a discussion of the court judgements set against the backdrop of a sunny February couple of days on the moor. I'm more positive about the outcome at the SC - if the argument really does hang on the English language meaning of open air recreation (minus any listed exclusions) then the only way I can see the case being lost is by having the case heard by a single judge for who the notion of adults camping is entirely alien and bizarre. The court of appeal rightly overturned the original decision on this basis. Various judgements seem to hang on the English language meaning of words in the absence of clear definitions in the legislation - it is surely a limitation therefore that the judiciary are drawn for the most part from such a narrow section of British society. The fear, in this case, is that the London banker's lawyers will pursue some other weasel arguments to distract and prevail.

4:56 Is that Hanger Down clump there in the distance? Been there. (Edit: never mind, you answered my question mere moments later.)

23:00 I assume this is in reference to the "dirty camping" during and just after lockdown. This was not wild campers.

Don’t mind about the camping but you should get a frolicking ban

10:58 - As an Anarchist/Libertarian, I have to mention your sentence here doesn't quite make sense. You said: "The Capitalist Conservatism of the Landowner vs. the Libertarian Anarchy of the wildcamper." Anarchists/Libertarians are Capitalists, (see the famous Murray Rothbard quote: "Capitalism is the fullest expression of Anarchism") and believe in property rights and the protection of Landowners. Conservatives are not true Capitalists. They regulate markets. Of course we believe in Freedom too, but never at the expense of private property. While some of us have been friendly for a short patch with Conservatives (due to an enormous and dangerous resurgence of the Left after 2010), and some of us are against them, it is because they, like the Left are Statists, and require a State(Gov) and Taxation in order to function, whereas we do not. Some of what you say has merit/validity though, bringing up Libertarians in connection to freedom of movement, etc. But as I say, never at the expense of violation of property. It is a controversial and complex situation, as when you dig deep you realise private property accounts for almost everything. Which means that our access to land if we don't own any is dependent on the generosity of some(not all, as you can see from the Darwalls) Landowners in creating public permissive sections of their land, or paid-entry land.

Greetings, sir, from “Elvis country”! The powers that be have an hierarchy that eventually leads to the head of all global authority (read the evil one), and individual independent happiness in the Creation is hated due to its fostering of focusing on our Creator. I’m sorry for being wordy. Here in America, if you’re the rugged, God-fearing, gun-toting, venison-eating, freedom-loving, thoroughly masculine (definitely not a fairy) type, the powers are struggling mightily against you. God will prove us right (deo vindice, the motto of the late, lamented Confederate States of America).

Don't suppose you are a Dartmoor yourself are you.