Devon, UK

Dartmoor is an upland landscape in east Devon, in south-west England. It is known for its distinctive granite outcrops — called tors — and is crossed by 24 rivers. Dartmoor was designated a British National Park in 1951, a status afforded to ‘an extensive area of beautiful and relatively wild country’, which the nation would benefit from the preservation of its landscape, wildlife, historical buildings and established farming uses, whilst also gaining access for ‘open air enjoyment’ (Dower Report, 1945). Much of the historical and contemporary discussions about Dartmoor are framed by these themes: leisure, access, conservation and wildness. From the mid-nineteenth century, Dartmoor’s tourist industry has been intimately connected to it being articulated as a ‘wild’ space, exposed and capricious, with unpredictable extreme weather conditions and only sparsely crossed by roads. 

More recently, a different understanding of wildness, as uncultivated, has appeared to accompany swimming practices undertaken outside in natural waters. In the past decade, open water swimming has become increasingly popular in the UK as a form of health practice. Swimmers and researchers have identified its value for particular chronic conditions such as arthritis, and for their mental health. In particular wild swimming — in lakes, rivers and the sea — has been framed as a ‘wellbeing’ pursuit, the sense of independence and connection to nature both encouraging improved mood and reduced stress among participants. These narratives of wellbeing often collide with issues around pollution and unsafe water quality, which organisations such as Friends of the Dart have been tackling on Dartmoor.

However, contestations around who is able to access these wilds for leisure pursuits have been ongoing. Concerns are often levied that the greater the public access, the more threat posed to the rare beauty and wildness of the moorland. Whilst this tension is not unique to Dartmoor, it takes a particular form due to the complex system of landownership in the region. There are 54 owners of land units on Dartmoor, including family estates owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and other ancient manorial holdings, governmental and conservation organisations such as the Ministry of Defence, Natural England, the National Trust and the National Park Authority, and water and mining companies. These rights to ‘private’ ownership are intersected by two other systems of right to land on Dartmoor: commoners’ grazing rights and public access rights. Over 50% of Dartmoor is accessible on foot, horseback and for wild camping, due to the Dartmoor Commons Act (1985), the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000) and through permissive access agreements by landowners.

Swimming occupies a distinctive position in this melange, as a practice that is still absent from right to roam legislation. Landowners usually hold rights to the river front (riparian) rights and can control permissions over who swims on their property.