Category Archives: Dartmoor

A people’s charter 75 years on

Posted on 31/03/2024 by campaignerkate

Seventy-five years ago today, 31 March 1949, Lewis Silkin, then minister of town and country planning, spoke of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Bill as ‘a people’s charter’. This was the second reading of the bill, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Access, AONB, campaigns, Countryside Council for Wales, Dartmoor, National parks, National trail, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Open country, parliament, planning, Public paths, walking, wild country | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Learning about landscape

Posted on 28/02/2024 by campaignerkate

What is landscape? was the subject of a seminar at the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) in December, on which I lit by chance—and am glad I did. The event was organised by the ‘Changing Landscapes’ research network, originally funded … Continue reading →

Posted in Access, common land, common rights, commons, Cumbria, Dartmoor, Exeter University, National parks, Open Spaces Society, wild country | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Extra hands at Common Wood

Posted on 18/02/2024 by campaignerkate

We had an unprecedented number of enthusiastic workers on our spring volunteer day at Common Wood, Dartmoor, on 12 February. The Dartmoor Preservation Association conservation volunteers were joined by two lecturers, Rebecca Slee and Kate Turner, and 14 students from … Continue reading →

Posted in butterflies, Common Wood, Dartmoor, Natural history | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

My bird year 2023

Posted on 01/01/2024 by campaignerkate

I was pleasantly surprised by my annual bird-count: 125 species seen, and another four heard (bittern, firecrest, nightingale, and water rail). This was the same as my peak year of 2014 when I went to Mull. I give credit to Bucks Bird … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, British Trust for Ornithology, Bucks, Dartmoor, My bird year, RSPB, Turville, walks | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Duchy’s first plan for Dartmoor

Posted on 30/12/2023 by campaignerkate

Forty years ago this month the Duchy of Cornwall published its first management plan: Future Management of the Dartmoor Estate. In the press release accompanying its publication on 6 December the Duchy said that this was ‘the first full inquiry … Continue reading →

Posted in Access, campaigns, common land, commons, Dartmoor, National parks, National Trust, Open country, riding, walking, wild country | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

World Commons Week

Posted on 04/12/2023 by campaignerkate

Today is the start of World Commons Week, organised by the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC). World commons extend far beyond the ancient and historic land in England and Wales; this is an expanding academic discipline, … Continue reading →

Posted in campaigns, Canada, commons, Dartmoor, Defra, Elinor Ostrom, India, International Association for the Study of the Commons, Japan, Natural England, Netherlands, Open Spaces Society, Peru, Sweden, Switzerland | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Forty fab years with CNP

Posted on 09/11/2023 by campaignerkate

Forty years ago, on 3 November 1983, I went to my first meeting of the executive committee of the Campaign for National Parks (CNP). I remained a member of the committee (now board of trustees) until 2019, and gladly returned … Continue reading →

Posted in campaigns, Dartmoor, National parks, wild country | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Return to the Rhôs

Posted on 25/10/2023 by campaignerkate

The Dartmoor Preservation Association conservation volunteers returned to Common Wood on Dartmoor on 16 October, to improve the habitat for Marsh Fritillary butterflies. We hadn’t worked there since a wet day in February 2016, when we were interviewed by Jo … Continue reading →

Posted in butterflies, Common Wood, commons, Dartmoor, National parks, Natural history | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

To sleep or not to sleep?

Posted on 23/07/2023 by campaignerkate

The court of appeal hearing into backpack camping on Dartmoor entered the realms of fantasy. Continue reading →

Posted in Access, campaigns, common land, commons, Dartmoor, Open Spaces Society, riding, walking | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

On sunlit slope

Posted on 27/02/2023 by campaignerkate

On 13 February with the help of students from Plymouth University, we made big improvements for butterflies at Common Wood. Continue reading →

Posted in butterflies, Common Wood, Dartmoor, Natural history | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments