Wistman’s Wood in a World of Cloud 🌫️🌲
The moor is a haze of wind and rain. As I walk along the stone path, I get a strange feeling that I’m stepping into another world, a world where everything solid and dry slowly melts into the cloud 🌫️.
My supposedly waterproof boots had long ago turned into two muddy puddles at the ends of my feet. My toes were numb, and I began to wonder if they had dissolved completely. I was soaked in parts of my body I didn’t even know existed. I felt myself gradually turning into a pillar of fog. There was nothing to do… except embrace it.
Between us? I’m enjoying every single second 😌
I’m now on the fourth day of a five-day adventure across the wet, windy, and sometimes stunning landscape of Dartmoor — a vast wilderness in Devon, southwest England. Today’s destination lies just over the next rise: Wistman’s Wood, in the heart of the moor 🌲.
This will be my final night, and the climax of my visit.
Why did I save this place for last? Because Wistman’s Wood is no ordinary place.
The moment I enter the small yet extraordinary patch of oak woodland, I feel the clouds closing in even more, to the point where I can imagine the twisted branches sprouting straight out of the mist. Awestruck, I stumble over the maze of moss-covered boulders. It’s like stepping into a fairy tale 🌫️🌲.
My imagination gleefully conjures eyes on the tree trunks and fingers at the tips of the branches, while the howl of the wind becomes their eerie whisper 🌬️🌲.
These trees, some around 500 years old, are said to be the last remnants of an ancient forest that once covered the land. According to legend, the name “Wistman” comes from wiseman, the old name for the Druids of Europe. In short: Druid’s Wood. I can see why people associate this place with rituals and mystical knowledge. Every root and branch practically hums with pagan energy 🌳✨.
As the rain — finally — begins to ease off, I settle on a semi-dry boulder and open my pack, searching for my “ultra-dry” sock bag and leather-bound notebook. It’s time for fresh socks and a bit of creative contemplation 📝👣.
Dartmoor’s Delights
Roughly the size of London, home to several rivers as well as a healthy population of otters and wild ponies roaming free and unfenced (though technically the ponies are owned), Dartmoor is a little-known secret when it comes to outdoor adventures in the UK 🌿🐴.
Among the many unique aspects of the landscape, the “Tors” are a particular source of inspiration.
The word “Tor” is Celtic in origin, simply meaning “tower.” There are over 160 of these in the whole National Park. While they may look like mysterious fairy fortresses, they are in fact natural protrusions where Dartmoor’s granite rock breaks the surface.
Some of the most beautiful Tors — and the ones I visited — include Haytor, conveniently close to one of the three visitor centres in the park; Great Staple Tor, offering dramatic scenery at its finest; and Bowerman’s Nose, rich with legends of witchcraft and sorcery 🌄✨.
I camped, sketched, and scribbled in my notebook while visiting these sites and sheltering from the rain. Each time I visited a new location, I was awe-struck all over again. But nothing had prepared me for the ethereal joy of Wistman’s Wood 🌲✨.
After half an hour, I decide to move on. There’s only so much ethereal beauty a person can take before needing a hot meal and a place to sleep, and these woods were off-limits.
I pack up my notebook, and armed with fresh socks (or should I say “footed”?), I follow the bubbling West Dart River across the moor. Eventually, I find every wild camper’s dream: a nicely flat patch of grass under an overhang. It’s marginally drier than the rest of the moor, which isn’t saying much, but still 🌿.
As I bustle around making camp, setting up the tent, boiling water, and unrolling my sleeping bag, I silently thank those who have recently fought to protect my — and everyone else’s — right to do this.
Over my delicious boil-in-the-bag camping meal, my mind wanders to the recent protests. The landmark court case and the debates still raging — both online and in pubs across the country — about the right to land ⚖️🔥.
Wild Britannia & the Right to Roam 🌿🇬🇧
The thing is, there’s a bit of a revolution happening in the UK at the moment. A slow, pondering revolution that moves no quicker than walking speed 🚶♂️💨. It’s a roaming revolution.
Many people may not know this (especially readers from outside the UK), but the majority of the English countryside is off-limits to the everyday citizen or overseas visitor.
Less than 9% of British land is currently open to the public, and much of it is tightly controlled and far from being truly “wild” 🌿.
This 9% is covered under the “Right to Roam” or “everyman’s right,” which gives people access to natural spaces for exercise and recreation 🏞️✨.
Even rarer is the “right to wild camp,” which exists in only two places in the UK. The first is in Scotland, where the vast Highlands are open to all. The second is Dartmoor in Devon. Both of these locations have long been treasured by generations of hikers, adventurers, artists, and thinkers 🌲⛺.
And yet, these human rights are under threat.
In January 2023, a wealthy Devon landowner called for a ban on wild camping in Dartmoor. Initially, the courts ruled in his favour. For a few bleak months, it seemed as if the British people were about to lose access to one of their two great wild places forever 😔.
Thankfully, local protesters came to the rescue — thousands marched across the moor, carrying catchy signs such as: “Please sir, I want some moor” and “The stars are for everyone” 🌟✊
In late July 2023, the courts miraculously decided to reverse their ruling. Wild camping was once again legal in Dartmoor. Hurrah! 🎉
But that’s not the end of the story. The landowner has since appealed the ruling, reopening the whole case after a tantalizing and cruel taste of victory.
Positive Trespass 🌿👣
Until recently, wild camping has always been somewhat of a fringe activity. It takes a lot of guts to trek across a blasted heath and battle the mosquitoes without even the luxury of a shower at the end 🏕️🦟.
But recently, with the swings of the “battle of the ban,” people have shown much greater interest.
The case seems to have sparked a whole new conversation around wild land and who’s allowed to enjoy it 🌿🔥.
People in the UK are seeing Dartmoor not as a last stand, but as a new beginning 🌄✨.
My five days of hiking across hills and sleeping under the stars weren’t just scenic; they were deeply inspiring 🌌⛺. Every time I stopped, I made it a habit to pull out my notebook and write about the day. It didn’t matter what I wrote — thoughts, feelings, or even how much I hated wet socks 😅.
The point is, the right to walk is also the right to think. To be creative, inspired by nature, and to exist in a state of wonder 🌿✨.
Postcodes for the Places Mentioned in Dartmoor
📍 Dartmoor National Park
Postcode: EX20 1QJ
Note: A large area covering multiple postcodes such as EX20, PL20, and TQ13 8AA–AJ, representing the entire national park.
📍 Westman Forest
Postcode: PL20 6SW
Note: Close to Two Bridges, Devon.
📍 High Tor
Postcode: TQ13 9XT
Note: Car park and starting point for the walk to the hilltop.
📍 Bowerman’s Nose
Postcode: TQ13 9UF
Note: Close to the village of Manaton, Devon.
📍 Great Staple Tor
Postcode: PL19 9NW
Note: Located in West Dartmoor near Merrivale/Whitchurch, a prominent high point for scenic views.
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