Editing Dartmoor (section)

==Ownership and access==
[[File:Wild camping on Dartmoor.jpg|thumb|The right to wild camp on Dartmoor has been upheld and reinstated, following the Court of Appeal's ruling in mid-2023.]]

Over half of Dartmoor National Park (57.3%) is private land; the [[Forest of Dartmoor]] being the major part of this, owned by the [[Duke of Cornwall]]. The [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] owns 14% (see below), 3.8% is owned by water companies (see [[Dartmoor reservoirs]]), 3.7% by the [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]], 1.8% by the [[Forestry Commission]] and 1.4% by Dartmoor's [[national park authority]]. About 37% of Dartmoor is [[common land]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dartmoor Commons |url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/print/lab-comm.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227004835/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/print/lab-comm.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2008 |access-date=19 March 2008 |publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority}}</ref>

Dartmoor differs from some other [[National parks of England and Wales|National Parks in England and Wales]], in that since the [[Dartmoor Commons Act 1985]]<ref>[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/localact1985/pdf/ukla_19850037_en.pdf Dartmoor Commons Act 1985] on the OPSI website</ref> much of it has been designated as [[access land]], which, although it remains privately owned, has no restrictions on where walkers can roam. In addition to this access land, there are about {{convert|730|km|-1|abbr=on}} of [[Rights of way in England and Wales|public rights of way]] on Dartmoor, and many kilometres of permitted footpaths and bridleways where the owners allow access.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Public Rights of Way |url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/vi-prow |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090911075542/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/vi-prow |archive-date=11 September 2009 |access-date=14 July 2009 |publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority}}</ref>

Because of the 1985 Act, Dartmoor was largely unaffected by the [[Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000]], which established similar rights in other rural parts of the country, until 2006, when the 2000 Act opened up much of the remaining restricted land to walkers.

In January 2023, in a high court judgement in a case brought by landowner [[Alexander Darwall]], the right for members of the public to wild camp on Dartmoor was lost. [[Julian Flaux]], the chancellor of the high court, ruled: "In my judgment, on the first issue set out at [14] above, the claimants are entitled to the declaration they seek that, on its true construction, section 10(1) of the 1985 Act does not confer on the public any right to pitch tents or otherwise make camp overnight on Dartmoor Commons. Any such camping requires the consent of the landowner."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Horton |first=Helena |date=13 January 2023 |title=Right to wild camp in England lost in Dartmoor court case |work=Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/13/dartmoor-estate-landowner-alexander-darwall-court-case-right-to-camp |access-date=13 January 2023}}</ref> A protest against the new restrictions, led by local storyteller Martin Shaw, was held in January 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ellingham |first=Miles |date=January 27, 2023 |title=A wild day on Dartmoor — joining the ramblers' rebellion |work=[[FT.com]] |url=https://www.ft.com/content/90c54da3-4bb2-41c5-bf66-4e47f44fd1c5}}</ref> However, on 31 July the ban was overturned by the Court of Appeal.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mathers |first1=Matt |last2=Gregory |first2=Andy |title=Dartmoor wild camping ban lifted as campaigners win battle against wealthy landowners |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dartmoor-camping-ban-court-of-appeal-b2377223.html |website=www.theindependent.co.uk |publisher=The Independent |access-date=5 August 2023}}</ref>

=== Use by the Ministry of Defence ===
{{See also|Dartmoor Training Area}}

There is a history of military usage of Dartmoor dating back to the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. Today, a large British Army training camp remains at [[Okehampton]] — also the site of an airbase during the Second World War.

The [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] (MoD) uses three areas of the northern moor for manoeuvres and live-firing exercises, totalling {{convert|108.71|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}},<ref name="DF" /> or just over 11% of the National Park. Red and white posts mark the boundaries of these military areas (shown on [[Ordnance Survey]] 1:25,000 scale maps). Flagpoles on many tors in and around the ranges fly red flags when firing is taking place. At other times, members of the public are allowed access. Blank rounds may also be used, but the MoD does not notify the public of this in advance.

Some "challenge" and charitable events take place with assistance of the military on Dartmoor, including the long established [[Ten Tors]] event and the more recent Dartmoor Beast.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Summary {{!}} Ten Tors |url=http://www.tentors.org.uk/challenge/about |website=Tentors.org.uk}}</ref>

The disused [[Rippon Tor Rifle Range]] was built to train soldiers during the Second World War, and remained in use until its closure in 1977.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Heritage Gateway – Results |work=Heritagegateway.org.uk |url=http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MDV55113&resourceID=104}}</ref>