UK wild camping campaigners rally in Dartmoor over court ruling

CORNWOOD: “Nature is a human right!” declares 21-year-old Anya Wilding as she dons hiking boots and prepares to join the fight to “get it back” on Dartmoor in southwest England.The photography student and thousands of others spent Saturday afternoon demonstrating for the right to camp in the open on a common within Dartmoor National Park.The protest was sparked by a recent UK court order that any such wild camping within parts of the park owned by wealthy local landowners requires their consent.The January 13 ruling has infuriated campaigners for better public access in rural areas. They say Dartmoor -- where over half of the land is private -- was the only remaining place in England where wild camping without landowner consent was permitted.Around 3,000 of them braved frigid temperatures to gather in the small village of Cornwood for a march to Stall Moor, a vast common owned by Alexander Darwall, who is now seeking to outlaw the pastime there.“Everyone deserves the same access, it’s