Large parts of Dartmoor have been denuded of wildlife, harmed by farming and a mess of government schemes that are costly in every way, according to naturalist Chris Packham. Writing in a recent article, he highlights that Britain’s uplands are dying, with over-grazed, sheep-infested ecological disaster zones replacing once vibrant heather and bilberry habitats.
A Natural England survey of Dartmoor’s protected sites found only 26 out of 22,494 hectares (55,583 acres) in an ecologically favourable condition – just 0.1%. All blanket bogs and heathland surveyed are in an appalling state, with many areas dominated by purple moor-grass, a species that flourishes in degraded conditions due to historical peat extraction, erosion, drainage, excessive burning, and year-round grazing.
Packham argues that this modern-day tragedy is a national scandal, as taxpayers fund the destruction. According to a 2023 Duchy College Rural Business School report, each ewe on Dartmoor commons loses its owner £16.90, and losses are only sustained through public subsidies. Over the past decade, more than £32 million has been paid to Dartmoor commoners through higher-level stewardship schemes intended to improve nature, yet not one common has improved, and many have worsened.
Natural England attempted to enforce changes to stocking rates in 2023 but faced a backlash from farmers, leading to a politically driven independent review and an embarrassing climb-down. Packham notes that grazing on Dartmoor falls within the least productive 20% of land, producing less than 3% of England’s food. He concludes that public money is propping up an environmentally destructive, loss-making industry that damages Dartmoor’s greatest asset: its nature.
