Advice on Dartmoor wild camping

[swotty]

I want to go wild camping with a couple of friends on Dartmoor sometime this year but have a couple of questions that hopefully you chaps can help out with!

Transport wise we will have a couple of motorbikes and my 4x4 so really I need to find a location where these will be safely parked up or within hearing distance if someone tries to damage or steal them (it's a sorry state of affairs when this has to be a priority) and preferably near a wood for hammocking.....anyone have any suggestions for a spot? Or are we just better off finding an alternative form of transport and walking in to get any sense of wilderness!

 

[Ichneumon]

Regretably parking anywhere on Dartmoor is not safe, particularly the secluded spots. You probably won't lose your car but you might have to replace a window and any contents. I would caution against parking overnight, even if you are only a stones throw away. Parking in inhabited areas is generally safer, so Princetown springs to mind.

Fortunately it is easy to walk out of Princetown in almost any direction and find good spots to camp. You don't even need to go far. Open access areas are shown on the Dartmoor OS map so you'll know if you are in areas that actively encourage wild camping or not.

Trees are almost non-existant on Dartmoor except the plantations, which are almost all FC land. Most FC land is open access but has signs forbidding camping. So to obey the letter of the law you will need to use tents and camp on the open moor. Lighting open fires anywhere on the moor is also verboten so you will also need cooking stoves. There is no firewood on the open moor anyway.

One last tip: If you are going to walk any distance make sure you really know how to use a map and compass - even if you have fancy sat-nav gizmoes, they have batteries that go flat.

Enjoy yourself in this wonderful place.

 

[Trencakey]

Also worth checking the range firing times.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dartmoor-firing-programme
Belstone has a good little car park and access to the moor is 10 minutes walk away.I've left my car there dozens of times and it's been ok to come back too.

 

[Robbi]

Also worth checking the range firing times.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dartmoor-firing-programme
Belstone has a good little car park and access to the moor is 10 minutes walk away.I've left my car there dozens of times and it's been ok to come back too.

Not any more !

 

[swotty]

Thanks for the advice chaps.

It's a shame when you don't feel confident leaving your vehicle for fear of it getting nicked/damaged, I go to the Brecons and it's pretty much the same there unless you are leaving a vehicle in a built up area.

Fortunately my map and compass skills are good and i'd have no idea how to use a GPS

 

[Chris the Cat]

Not any more !

Why?
I was there a month ago and did not notice that anything had changed?
Best.
Chris.

 

[screwdriver]

as mentioned ive used princetown alot to park as its good entry point to the moor ,or for the other side of the moor there is a large cheap carpark in widdecombe where youy can leave a car safely overnight

 

[swotty]

Thanks screwdriver, i'll have a look at the map this evening

 

[Pedagog]

There are some good areas near Sheepstor, which is a nice village.

 

[swotty]

Thanks for the tip

There are some good areas near Sheepstor, which is a nice village.

 

[rik_uk3]

Thanks for the advice chaps.

It's a shame when you don't feel confident leaving your vehicle for fear of it getting nicked/damaged, I go to the Brecons and it's pretty much the same there unless you are leaving a vehicle in a built up area.

Fortunately my map and compass skills are good and i'd have no idea how to use a GPS

????? Really? More perception than reality I feel.

 

[swotty]

????? Really? More perception than reality I feel.

I said 'for fear'....I had several vehicles stolen/damaged over the years and it kind of makes you apprehensive before leaving a vehicle parked somewhere where it is likely to be at risk...friends have had the same. I am not talking specifically about the Brecons (although friends have had vehicles broken into at the car park near the Storey Arms) So reality not perception.