Trespass to the Forbidden Island [POSTPONED]

We’ve made the difficult decision to postpone our planned trespass to the ‘Forbidden Island’ at Vixen Tor in Dartmoor this Saturday. Current ground conditions are extremely sodden following recent heavy rain, and are due to get worse with a yellow rain warning in place it’s clear there won’t be enough time for the ground to dry out.

We had huge media interest in our access islands story, released yesterday, with reports in the BBC, Guardian, Times, Independent, Telegraph, Express and Mirror and appearances on the Today programme, Sky News, LBC and elsewhere. The issue will also be introduced to the House of Lords on Wednesday. As a result of this extra attention, increasingly large numbers of people planned to attend the event on the weekend.

That’s brilliant – and testament to the passion there is to transform our absurd access laws. It has however also increased the risk of potential damage to the waterlogged ground and created safety issues in the tricky conditions.

We’re gutted to be postponing - especially after lots of elaborate and creative planning! - but we’re confident it’s the correct decision. Our campaign is all about creating a culture of responsible access, and when the situation demands it's right to put the land before ourselves. We firmly believe that the right to roam does not equate to unrestricted liberty to act without regard for the natural surroundings. And sometimes prioritising nature necessitates making tough choices.

First, many apologies to those of you who had already made plans to attend. We’ll be issuing full refunds to those who paid for coach deposits.

For those of you who may have already booked train tickets and can’t get them refunded, we’re open to organising something interesting on Dartmoor to compensate for the postponement! So please get in touch at hello@righttoroam.org.uk if that's the case and we’ll explore the options.

Second, we have an alternative suggestion:

As part of our research on access islands, we have compiled this map of examples around the UK (do see the description for caveats). We’d be fascinated to learn more about the status of these islands and tell their stories – but can only do it with your help.

So if you’re looking for fresh ideas to fill your Saturday, pick an access island near you and go for an explore. Then tag our socials with any accounts of what you find, or drop us an email in response to this newsletter.

Finally, this was just the first of many events we have planned this year. And it just so happens we have another in the works, taking place in Cirencester next month. We’re still working out all the details but you can begin to sign up to that event here.

Many apologies again to those of you who had made arrangements to attend this weekend.