HAVE YOU EVER GEOCACHED ON DARTMOOR?

[+Brentorboxer]

Closure of the Okehampton Loop Road.

 

This road gives walkers access to OP15 from Okehampton Army camp. The Dartmoor National Park Authority and the Duchy of Cornwall are proposing to close it without public consultation. If you have ever walked from thIS road to find caches please sign the partition. http://www.petitiononline.com/ringroad/

 

Many thanks

[+keehotee]

Much as I agree with you - and I've enjoyed driving the military roads as well as walking on the north moor - it's not a public byway and is entirely within the DoC estate isn't it? They are not restricting access, just vehicle access. As such there's no need for them to engage in public consultation. []

[+spannerman]

Closure of the Okehampton Loop Road.

 

This road gives walkers access to OP15 from Okehampton Army camp. The Dartmoor National Park Authority and the Duchy of Cornwall are proposing to close it without public consultation. If you have ever walked from thIS road to find caches please sign the partition. http://www.petitiononline.com/ringroad/

 

Many thanks

 

 

Hello Margaret,

 

Sorry, but I won't be signing the petition, I think it's closure is the best thing for the North Moor. Walkers will still be able to access OP15, it's the drivers who will be kept out

 

I guess visitors to Cranmere will take a dive but it's good that it will get back to being a major achievement to reach the pool and not the drive in the park it is now.

[+Stuey]

Closure of the Okehampton Loop Road.

 

This road gives walkers access to OP15 from Okehampton Army camp. The Dartmoor National Park Authority and the Duchy of Cornwall are proposing to close it without public consultation. If you have ever walked from thIS road to find caches please sign the partition. http://www.petitiononline.com/ringroad/

 

Many thanks

 

I signed it, thanks.

[+drdick&vick]

Providing the road is to remain open to walkers I can see no problem and as another poster stated it is within their rights to do this.

[SMJHunter]

 

Hello Margaret,

 

Sorry, but I won't be signing the petition, I think it's closure is the best thing for the North Moor. Walkers will still be able to access OP15, it's the drivers who will be kept out

 

I guess visitors to Cranmere will take a dive but it's good that it will get back to being a major achievement to reach the pool and not the drive in the park it is now.

 

I find this a very selfish attitude, it is ok for those who are fit but it would be nice if the less able were still able to enjoy the joys of the remote areas of North Dartmoor. The road is to remain there for the army so why not let others use it. Lets face it, were not talking about a stream of traffic just the occasional vehicle.

[+spannerman]

 

Hello Margaret,

 

Sorry, but I won't be signing the petition, I think it's closure is the best thing for the North Moor. Walkers will still be able to access OP15, it's the drivers who will be kept out

 

I guess visitors to Cranmere will take a dive but it's good that it will get back to being a major achievement to reach the pool and not the drive in the park it is now.

 

I find this a very selfish attitude, it is ok for those who are fit but it would be nice if the less able were still able to enjoy the joys of the remote areas of North Dartmoor. The road is to remain there for the army so why not let others use it. Lets face it, were not talking about a stream of traffic just the occasional vehicle.

 

It may be a selfish attitude but it's mine I tell you.....mine, all mine.

Edited January 22, 2009 by spannerman

[+Haggis Hunter]

Why is the road being closed? No one has explained this.

I've looked on MM and if I have got the correct location it would appear to be a large military range, am I correct? If this is the case then there may be a danger to vehicles driving over unexploded ordnance. Something which isn't an immediate threat to a person who is walking. Is there signage saying not to touch any shells or other ordnance that may be lying around?

Sadly the military have to take these risks whilst manoeuvring around ranges, especially when on deployment to BATUS where British soldiers have a high death rate, on average one or two a year. For a training establishment that is high.

 

So without an explanation I can't help thinking it is for the safety of others that the roads are getting closed.

Edited January 22, 2009 by Haggis Hunter

[SMJHunter]

This is a military firing range, as is a large part of Dartmoor, but has open access you can not walk if the red flags are flying.

I Quote part of the proposal.

 

"The deteriation of the road means several sections are no longer suitable for ordinary cars and this poses ‘a significant risk to public safety’ said a report by the DNPA’s director of park management.

The DNPA’s management plan also identifies the use of military roads, green lanes and the open moor by motorised vehicles as ‘aspects that can affect tranquility and dark night skies’. "

 

The road will remain open to the Army and Quad bikes though.

Edited January 22, 2009 by SMJHunter

[+drdick&vick]

As far as I know there is no other military training area where civilian vehicles are allowed to drive on the roads/bridleways but as always foot traffic is allowed providing there is no live firing.

[+keehotee]

As far as I know there is no other military training area where civilian vehicles are allowed to drive on the roads/bridleways but as always foot traffic is allowed providing there is no live firing.

 

There's a rather large lump of the Isle of Purbeck where you can do just that.

However, the military road on Dartmoor was created by the military to service their ranges, is on Duchy of Cornwall land, and as has been said, there will be no loss of access to foot traffic (or mountain bikes).

Even with the closure of the ring. it will still be possible to get to within 5000 metres of the remotest areas of the moor by public road.

[+Haggis Hunter]

This is a military firing range, as is a large part of Dartmoor, but has open access you can not walk if the red flags are flying.

I Quote part of the proposal.

 

"The deteriation of the road means several sections are no longer suitable for ordinary cars and this poses ‘a significant risk to public safety’ said a report by the DNPA’s director of park management.

The DNPA’s management plan also identifies the use of military roads, green lanes and the open moor by motorised vehicles as ‘aspects that can affect tranquility and dark night skies’. "

 

The road will remain open to the Army and Quad bikes though.

There you go that explains it all. They probably know the military vehicles are the cause of the damage, but due to the state of the roads and the fact it is private land, they don't want to be open to prosecution due to a vehicle getting damaged or worse crash due to their roads not being up to standard.

Your petition doesn't state the full details on why the road is being closed, I wonder if everyone would sign the petition if they actually knew the full details.

[+Stuey]

Your petition doesn't state the full details on why the road is being closed, I wonder if everyone would sign the petition if they actually knew the full details.

 

I signed it and I was aware of the details. The road is an interesting one, fun to drive (ok, you need to be careful on the sections that have been washed out or damaged) but it is passable in a normal car with care. The alternative to this drive is an almost 8 mile round trip walk from Okehampton Camp. Without the road I am unlikely to go onto the remote parts of the north moor any more. It's just too much walking with the wife and dog with me. By closing the road to public traffic they are basically excluding access to that part of the moor for some people. I know they have every right to do it, and their reasons are understandable, but I wanted to state my objections, and I'm sure others will as well.

[+Haggis Hunter]

Your petition doesn't state the full details on why the road is being closed, I wonder if everyone would sign the petition if they actually knew the full details.

 

I signed it and I was aware of the details. The road is an interesting one, fun to drive (ok, you need to be careful on the sections that have been washed out or damaged) but it is passable in a normal car with care. The alternative to this drive is an almost 8 mile round trip walk from Okehampton Camp. Without the road I am unlikely to go onto the remote parts of the north moor any more. It's just too much walking with the wife and dog with me. By closing the road to public traffic they are basically excluding access to that part of the moor for some people. I know they have every right to do it, and their reasons are understandable, but I wanted to state my objections, and I'm sure others will as well.

I'm not debating that and I do agree that it will restrict access greatly to many people. But there was only one side of the coin being presented and I wanted to know more, as this thread didn't originally state the full details and neither does the petition.

[+t.a.folk]

A little more info ,from a different perspective ,in piece extracted from link below .

 

www.dartmoor-ranges.co.uk/Downloads/Public_Access/Regional_Report_Consultation_Draft.pdf -

 

The Loop Road from Okehampton gives access 5km into northern Dartmoor .This is appreciated by those requiring vehicular access but not by others who object to cars being able to intrude into the moor .The MOD licience from the Duchy of Cornwall for the use of Dartmoor for military training requires that the Loop Road as far as East Okement Farm be maintained for 2 wheel drive vehicles but only permits the remainder of the road to be maintained to the standard required for military 4 wheel drive vehicals .This policy ,which was developed with the relevant local statutory bodies requires the MOD to allow the Loop Road to deteriorate thus limiting acesss .

Edited January 23, 2009 by t.a.folk