Vixen Tor Action  

On Thursday 24th April at 11.00 am, representatives from the Ramblers Association (RA), Vixen Tor Action Group (VTAG) and the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) will hand ina total of four Rights of Way Claims to Devon County Council Public Rights of Way Department requesting that public Rights of Way be granted to Vixen Tor on Dartmoor.

These rights of way claims will be supported by boxes of evidence, including written statements from members of the public asserting that four footpaths leading to the Tor were regularly and well used before access was barred by a local landowner in 2003.  Historically, Vixen Tor and the surrounding land have been popular with local people, walkers and climbers for generations before closure. 

Since then, the current landowner has refused a grant from the National Park Authority to voluntarily allow access and has continued to block public access by surrounding the Tor with barbed wire and erecting ‘keep out’ signs.

However, the Ramblers’ Association and British Mountaineering Council have worked with local people to collect a substantial body of evidence spanning some 60 years.  This shows how Vixen Tor has always been a popular walking and tourist destination and that the public have used the same footpaths for that time and so they should be added to the Definitive Map of Public paths, thus opening up Vixen Tor for all to enjoy.

Attending the hand-in will be :

• Jim Harrison, Vixen Tor Action Group and British Mountaineering Council

• John Skinner, Devon Area Access Officer, Ramblers’ Association 

• Justin Cooke, Head of the Ramblers’ Association Freedom to Roam Team

The action takes place at Devon County Council Offices, County Hall, Topsham Road in Exeter if you fancy lending your support.

There is also a public rally organised by the Ramblers' Association on Sunday 27th April at Vixen Tor at which their Chair, Kate Ashbrook will be speaking.

This granite tor is a fantastic climbing venue with routes reaching a height of 120 feet and classics such as Plektron (E1 5b), Feasibility Study (E3 6a) and Dockers Dilemma (E5 6a) lost to all at the moment. There's also a colourful history to the dispute with climbers have been threatened in the past and there's been a mass trespass a couple of years ago. The tor has even been the subject of a TV program on Channel Five as well as making the national press.

You can visit the website of the Vixen Tor Access Group at http://www.vixentor4all.org.uk/ to find out more.

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