Rallies will go ahead this weekend and early next week to coincide with the upcoming court case that will determine the future of on Dartmoor, with the UK's Supreme Court set to make its final judgment on the case on Tuesday. After two years of legal wrangling over public access rights in the UK National Park, Tuesday's case will decide for once and for all whether the public has any right to pitch a on Dartmoor, the last remaining area for wild camping in England. This right was first contested in 2022 by landowner Alexander Darwall, a hedge fund manager, who with his wife Diana owns the 4,000-acre Blachford Estate in the south of the popular park.
Unlike , which are on public land, Britain's National Parks are largely privately owned. Among those campaigning to retain camping rights is the protest group The Stars Are for Everyone. Speaking on behalf of TSAFE, Frankie Gould stresses the importance of Tuesday's hearing for those who want to enjoy England's wild spaces overnight.
“If Darwall wins his case, there will be no further opportunity for appeal. Wild camping rights will cease to exist in England, and the continued ability for individuals and groups to sleep under Dartmoor’s stars will be lost. But there’s a bigger issue at stake here.
The fact that a landowner is able to challenge our generations-deep right to sleep under the stars on Dartmoor points to the fragility and inadequacy of our current access system.” In January 2023, Chancellor of the High Court Ju.
