Dartmoor is England’s last true wilderness, and receives millions of visitors each year. It’s easy to see why – Dartmoor is beautiful. From the annual Ten Tors event for school kids, to the Dartmoor Classic sportive, to smaller events like Dartmoor In A Day, to just casual visitors and families having a picnic, Dartmoor caters to all.
And therein lies the problem.
Overuse is abuse
It’s a simple fact that Dartmoor cannot cope with the number of people visiting. That’s not to say YOU shouldn’t visit Dartmoor! What it does mean is that all of us need to change our ways.
Don’t worry – nobody is asking for enormous changes, but read on, and you’ll see.
Erosion
Erosion on Dartmoor is a huge issue, in more ways than you might realise. You see, Dartmoor has large areas of peat, underneath a fairly thin layer of topsoil. All that peat sequesters enormous amounts of CO2, so for the sake of having a liveable planet in the future, it’s important to address erosion. Once the peat is exposed, it can start leaching huge amounts of CO2, especially when there are wild fires.
If you genuinely only ever cycle on the roads, onto Dartmoor, and back again, then clearly you’re not personally contributing to erosion. However, that changes rapidly, should you go cycling off-road.
Dartmoor has some fantastic gravel routes, and it’s important to treat those with respect. To begin with, absolutely stick to existing bridleways, or byways, such as the old railway out of Princetown. For clarity, if you cycled anywhere else, not only are you in breach of the bylaws, but your wheels risk causing far more erosion. This is even more true for very powerful e-MTB bikes.
Remember, tyre tracks can compact the soil, reducing its ability to absorb water. When it rains, runoff is therefore increased (however little). That means more soil particles are washed away, leaving ruts that can deepen over time. These ruts quickly channel more water, which accelerates erosion. Erosion can also expose the peat.
Check the map
If you wanted to do offroad cycling on Dartmoor, do yourself, and everyone else the favour of avoiding cycling over open moorland. Dartmoor is not the place to show off your elite cycling skills.
If in doubt, check the map.
Remember, cycling across open moorland, footpaths or common land isn’t permitted. Cycling is only permitted on roads, bridleways, permissive tracks, byways open to all traffic and designated cycleways.
What can YOU do to help?
There are many ways in which each of us can help protect Dartmoor. Most of those don’t require big changes on our part, but collectively, they can make a huge difference.
Stick to existing trails
As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to stick to existing trails. Once a trail is formed, mechanical erosion (from feet and hooves, as well as wheels) will lead to vegetation being unable to take hold. That, in turn, leads to more erosion. Even simple grass helps fight erosion.
There is a catch though – if the existing path goes through a very eroded bit, it can at times be better to leave the path, and divert, so vegetation can get a chance to recover.
Also, remember that wet ground erodes quicker. When encountering very wet ground, or boggy terrain, do us all a favour and either reroute onto firmer ground, or get off and walk your bike.
Volunteer
There are a number of conservation charities on Dartmoor, and they’re always looking for help. Why not volunteer with them, and help plant trees, mend paths, or more? As a bonus, you’ll learn a great deal more about this fragile landscape.
Shop ethical
Dartmoor is a living landscape, and there are many businesses on the moor. Supporting local businesses tends to support people who live, or work on the moor, and who tend to care a great deal more about it. Look at business ethics, and don’t be afraid to ask.
For example, avoid businesses who use avoidable plastic packaging, or cafés that don’t give discount to customers who bring their own, re-usable cups, for take-away drinks. Also avoid cafés that serve sit-in customers with disposable cups.
These choices will, in turn, encourage more businesses to become more ethical, too.
Never litter!
Littering isn’t simply the act of throwing fast food wrappers on the ground and walking away. Balloon releases, including Chinese lanterns, are littering, too, and many animals die horrible, painful deaths because of those.
If you’re a dog walker, and you picked up your dog’s poo, DON’T leave the plastic bag dangling from a branch, a fence, or a gate. And remember, horses, and Dartmoor ponies, can die from eating it, so either don’t pick the dog poo up, or pick it up and carry it away with you, to dispose of in a bin.
Even if you carry your litter away with you, leaving it next to an overflowing bin is still littering! Simply take your litter home with you. There is absolutely no excuse not to! Also, when you come across litter along the way, if at all reasonably possible, pick it up and carry it with your own litter.
Learn about the landscape
The more people begin to understand Dartmoor, and crucially, how fragile it is, the more they tend to care about it. Try to learn more about the plants, and the fungi, that grow on the moor.
The balance between access and protection
Dartmoor has long inspired many people to explore and enjoy its rugged beauty, and rightly so. However, each of us have a duty to help protect that landscape, and that duty exists every time we visit the moor.
The soil beneath your tyres may be just a few centimetres deep, but it is a complex ecosystem that regulates water flow, stores carbon, and supports rare species.
By respecting bylaws, staying on the right paths, and adopting low-impact habits, we can all help ensure Dartmoor remains both rideable and resilient.
The freedom to cycle here depends on how carefully we use that freedom. Will you help us protect Dartmoor?