That's right, Sprid - the landowner seems to have seen an opportunity to expand his leisure business. He is a multi-millon pound hedge fund manager - a 'down from London-er' who relocated around 2013 by all accounts. It will be very interesting to see if other landowners decide to allow wild camping - if not then Ten Tors will be finished. It appears he wants to expand his pheasant shooting and other leisure activities that bring in money, as he has done on his £5m estate in Scotland. He's already closed permissive car parks and started charging in what looks very like a move to reduce or limit access to only those who pay for pheasant shooting or deer stalking. Presumably these are like-minded souls who can afford to donate to UKIP and the Tory party as he has.

His actions are somewhat in opposition to the tradition of the moor being a place for all to roam and wild camp for free - it is the only place in England where this is permitted and that was a hard won right. I expect the NPA will appeal and my experience of Ten Tors is that local support is very substantial so the stage seems set for an interesting tussle. Still, if they lose at least the peasants will be kept in their place - get orf my land!!

The morons who trashed parts of the moor in the pandemic haven't helped, of course. Mind you, they just seem like yet another example of the selfish behaviour that surrounds us everywhere - I've never understood why dog owners bag their dog's deposits and then throw the bags away to fester in bushes and tree branches. If only a god could pick them up and throw them at said owners'houses!

I don't beleeeive it!!