ONE of the UK’s most-loved National Parks will soon be much easier to get to without a car.
Last year, Dartmoor National Park in Devon celebrated winning a court debate that allowed the public to wild camp for free.
And now it’s getting a new £15million station on its doorstep, allowing more people to visit the park.
The new interchange station will open at Okehampton, which is on the northern edge of the National Park.
The station will be called Okehampton Interchange and is a different station from Okehampton.
Work on the station began back in February last year.
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Once complete, it will be the newest stop on the Dartmoor Line since it opened in 2021 and will connect Okehampton to Exeter, as well as Crediton in North Devon.
And if you are travelling from London, it won’t take you too long to get there, making it the ideal escape for the weekend.
You’ll need to hop on a train between London Paddington and Exeter St Davids, taking just over two hours, and then switch to a service to Okehampton.
The single-platform station is planned to open this summer.
I was fortunate enough to grow up within short distance of Dartmoor National Park, which is the ideal spot for hikes and walks.
In my opinion, the Dartmoor doesn’t get the love it deserves.
It is the only place in England where you can wild camp without prior landowner permission, which is an incredible situation that shouldn’t be undervalued.
While tourists head en masse to the Lake District and the Peak District each summer, Dartmoor still feels like an undiscovered gem.
On many of my hikes, for example, I haven’t come across another soul – unless you count the free-roaming sheep or loveable Dartmoor ponies.
To head on a hike from the new station, exit onto Hameldown Road before reaching and crossing the B3260.
Then drop onto Fatherford Lane, where you’ll head under the bypass and onto Dartmoor.
From here, there are several walks you can go on.
For a two-hour round walk, you can venture to Belstone, which is a tiny village at the edge of the National Park.
Once you reach the village, you can stop by for a pint at The Tors Inn.
If you want to head off on a longer hike, you can also use Belstone as a base, as there are a couple of holiday lets in the village.
Points of interest in the moorland surrounding the village include the Nine Stones Circle, also known as the Nine Maidens or 17 brothers.
It is a Bronze Age stone circle that was a burial ground and is mentioned in folklore, where locals are nervous of carrying out restoration work on the circle as they believe those who tamper will become cursed.
If you don’t mind a longer route, you can head to Meldon Reservoir, which dams the River Okement and was built over 50 years ago.
On your walk around the Reservoir, you can expect breathtaking views, and you can also spot Meldon Viaduct, which was built in the 19th century.
For the keen hikers, you might want to visit High Willhays – the highest point on Dartmoor and in southern England.
Reaching 621metres above sea level, it is no small feat to hike to the top, but once you do you will be greeted by panoramic views.
And depending on the time of year, High Willhays often has snow when the rest of Dartmoor doesn’t.
You can also add in a stop to Yes Tor, which is slightly more rugged.
The best thing about hiking on and visiting Dartmoor is that it remains the only place in England where visitors have a legal right to camp for free, without seeking landowners’ permission beforehand.
The National Park just asks that you do it within the areas marked on their backpack camping map and that you stay no longer than two nights.
The right to wild camp on Dartmoor was threatened last year when, back in 2021, landowners (and millionaires) Alexander and Diana Darwall claimed that visitors should not be able to camp without landowner permission.
Over four years of back-and-forth debates, the Supreme Court eventually ruled that wild camping was allowed.
Even though wild camping on Dartmoor often means you’re exposed to the elements, there is no way to camp closer to nature in the UK.
But before you visit Dartmoor, make sure to check the live firing times which are posted on the Gov.uk website.
Though this might sound scary, it is nothing to be worried about – the British military use Dartmoor as a training site and have since the 1800s.
This means they will sometimes carry out exercises using live ammunition, but in the areas they do, red flags or lights will be displayed to warn the public.
On several occasions I have come across army cadets hiking and training, as well as seeing empty ammunition shells on the ground – though, The Ministry of Defence advises not to pick them up.
And if you are heading on a hike, you’ll need good boots as a lot of Dartmoor is boggy.
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Park Holidays UK Sand le Mere, Yorkshire
This holiday park in Yorkshire is a thriving family resort, just steps from Tunstall Beach. Entertainment is what this resort does best, with costume character performances, Link-up Bingo and cabaret shows. Accommodation ranges from fully-equipped Gold Caravans to Platinum Lodges with sun decks and luxury bedding.
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Parkdean Resorts Camber Sands, Sussex
This beachfront resort is a classic family favourite. If you’re not up to swimming in the sea, there’s four fantastic pools here, as well as water flumes, underwater jets, inflatable jet skis and kayak races. Plus if you’ve got any little fans of Paw Patrol or Milkshake!, you’ll be glad to know there’s Milkshake! Mornings and Paw Patrol Mighty Missions to keep your tots entertained.
Make sure you know where the bird nesting areas are as well, as they cannot be accessed during certain times of the year.
Dartmoor National Park’s website lists the different areas with maps and also the times you cannot enter them.
Some do have set paths through them though that you can use.
There are also so many more places you can explore and hike to on Dartmoor than High Willhays, Meldon and Belstone.
The National Park has been used as the filming location for a number of major productions including Sherlock Holmes’ Hound of the Baskervilles, War Horse and even the upcoming HBO Max Harry Potter series.
As you explore the National Park, make sure to look out for the wild ponies that also call it home.
And if you fancy a bit more of an adventure, there are some companies that offer canoeing and rafting on the moors’ rivers.
Name a better place to enjoy ponies, peaks and pubs…
If you are looking for other places to camp in the UK, here’s the English campsite named the best in Britain that families are raving about, and it costs just £12.50 each a night.
Plus, here are five affordable campsites with some of the UK’s best views – and pitches from just £11.