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John Farrar | all galleries >> DARTMOOR >> DARTMOOR in DETAIL - Galleries > Vixen Tor - Dartmoor's Forbidden Tor
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Vixen Tor - Dartmoor's Forbidden Tor

Highly eroded granite tors are a feature of Dartmoor. This one, just off the main road near Princetown stands on the edge of a valley
is especially attractive. More typically, these tors form the peaks of the hills which go up to just over 2,000ft.
Vixen Tor is presently off limits to walkers & climbers and access to it has become a very contentious issue between the Right To Roam people
and the landowner. Amongst other access issues related to her claim that there has never been a public path across her land, apparently she as landowner
would have to pay for an expensive insurance in case someone got injured there.
It's very sad that walkers in the 21st century are being deliberately excluded from this beautiful place despite the National Park offering to pay
far more than she could expect to earn in a year from farming the tor and its surroundings, for public access. The history books will likely judge the
exculsion to be mean minded and so a modern day addition to the legend of Vixana the witch will be forever associated with this little tor.
It is said that long ago a Witch lived here, and I think this website explains it all very nicely:-
http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/vixiana_the_witch_of_vixen_tor.htm


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Guest 07-Jul-2007 16:20
John, I apologize for the remarks below. It just seems that everyone sues everyone else for anything at all. Your idea does seem to be a fair one. Oh, btw, you are a marvelous photographer! I have spent some truly pleasants moments browsing your work. You have a keen talent for composition and a great awarenes of color. Please, keep posting more.
John Farrar07-Jul-2007 10:15
Not true. I would never consider suing an owner if an injury was caused by my own foolhardiness. It is the impersonal nature of the modern culture of blame that might drive it via insureres despite my good intentions. So I can understand it being off limits to climbers; but to bar ramblers in what otherwise appears to be a contiguous piece of the National Park seems unfortunate and unecessary. One often wonders why an arangement which might include the National Park picking up the insurance bill and a reasonable amount per annum for to allow public access could not have been arrived at.
Guest 06-Jul-2007 23:50
If it's private property, you have no right to it. If you want access to it, buy it. For all of your indignation at the landowner, you'd probably be the first to sue him if you were injured.