Lewis Winks
Researcher, writer and campaigner with Right to Roam; social and cultural geography; environmental social science; campaigning to defend the right to wild camp on Dartmoor. Devon based.
- Reposted by Lewis WinksGood morning. Let's make a collective resolution: this will be the year in which we start to turn things round.
- Reposted by Lewis WinksNational or regional (GLA) government needs to liberate London’s river system for walking too. Try walking the Roding between Barking Creek & Redbridge?! Impossible where it offers the most benefit in statistically low walking areas. Try the Ravensbourne; canalised/buried even in most green spaces!
- Reposted by Lewis Winks[This post could not be retrieved]
- Reposted by Lewis WinksIt seems the first of the new 'nine river walks' the Government announced in place of a real access policy... won't actually create any new access? They're just upgrading the existing path and adding some signs and benches. A really rubbish level of ambition. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksGovernment's proposed new National River Walk a damp squib says @openspacessociety.bsky.social -it's not new, but on existing rights of way. Priority should be green paper on access to nature, and new legislation. www.oss.org.uk/new-national... @ramblers.org.uk @naturalengland.bsky.social
- The Government has announced the first of their ‘nine new river walks’: a section of the River Mersey near Stockport. Yet what’s being presented as a national breakthrough is, in reality, a set of long-overdue local council upgrades to existing riverside paths. A skim through the details... 🧵
- According to reporting "no new paths will be created", and instead "signs to mark it as a national river walk will be erected and stretches of the existing river path will be upgraded to meet accessibility standards"
- I've mapped the Mersey's publicly accessible waterside and the upper half through Manchester already enjoys extensive public access. These upgrades will benefit local communities. But why does essential local authority work require a national announcement from Defra? felt.com/map/River-Me...
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View full threadWe need to flip the current assumption that we are barred from land and water unless a landowner decides otherwise, and instead start from the principle that rivers are public spaces, central to community life, health and local nature recovery. @righttoroam.bsky.social
- Reposted by Lewis WinksThis Telegraph article is a distillation of the horseshit propping up the idea of a 'rural v urban culture war'. 'BBC ACCUSED OF METROPOLITAN BIAS TOWARD RURAL BRITAIN' it claims, citing a poll commissioned by the Regional Moorland Association (i.e. gamekeepers) www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...
- The River Dart in spate flowing through (and over!) Totnes following heavy & prolonged rainfall. And this is one week past spring tides!
- Reposted by Lewis WinksThe Government have today announced an Access Green Paper which will consult on how to ‘strengthen the public’s legal right to access’. This is welcome - but further delay isn't: Labour MPs & access NGOs are united on the need for access legislation now. @righttoroam.bsky.social comment:
- Tonnes of topsoil heading seaward, washed out by rainfall from the River Dart Catchment, South Devon. With heavy rainfall events becoming more frequent as a result of climate breakdown, leaving fields bare at this time of year is a recipe for literal disaster.
- Reposted by Lewis WinksChatGPT’s signature writing style is everywhere now, and I hate it. It reminds me of when we tried mixing all the beverages at the soda fountain in middle school. We didn’t actually create the perfect drink, we just made a cloying monstrosity that lost everything good about its constituent parts.
- Reposted by Lewis WinksWhy Your House Is Full of Stuff You'll Never Use.
- Trees high on Dartmoor have been deliberately poisoned. Perhaps an act rooted in frustration and of sorrow at the passing of an unfettered time... but an act of ecological vandalism nonetheless. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
- @ebenmyrddin.bsky.social repping wild camping at the Basecamp stage at Kendal Mountain Festival.
- A real joy to be at Kendal Mountain Festival with @righttoroam.bsky.social and friends -- raising our voices for equitable access to nature.
- Wild camping: we won the battle on Dartmoor, now what? Listening to @lewis-winks.bsky.social, @maryannochota.bsky.social & Aila Taylor discussing extending the right to wild camp in England - at Kendal Mountain Festival, in (appropriately enough) a very big tent
- Reposted by Lewis WinksWild camping: we won the battle on Dartmoor, now what? Listening to @lewis-winks.bsky.social, @maryannochota.bsky.social & Aila Taylor discussing extending the right to wild camp in England - at Kendal Mountain Festival, in (appropriately enough) a very big tent
- Reposted by Lewis Winks'the abandoned paper mill was actually a deeply contaminated and highly radioactive former frack waste treatment plan' Hard to overstate the enduring filth released by fossil fuel extraction
- Reposted by Lewis WinksGreat trespass along the River Dart today to kick off @righttoroam.bsky.social's 9 river trespasses in November - protesting the inadequacy & unworkability of the Govt's 9 river walks pledge We trespassed in an estate owned in the Cayman Islands & later met up with kayakers from Friends of the Dart
- Reposted by Lewis WinksOver 200 charities, businesses & organisations have signed our open letter to Keir Starmer asking him not to weaken the laws protecting National Parks and Landscapes. We're so thankful to everyone who added their name 💪 This letter represents millions of people and shows that #NationalParksMatter
- Reposted by Lewis WinksVery excited to share that I'm writing a new book, THE GHOSTS OF CHALK COUNTRY - about the loss of England's chalk downland: a tale of flowers, fascism & freedom. To be published by @wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social in April 2027: www.thebookseller.com/rights/willi... Website: ghostsofchalkcountry.org
- Reposted by Lewis WinksHow do we fix this mess?
- Reposted by Lewis WinksAbsolutely delighted that my book THE LIE OF THE LAND has won the Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing! This week, one of the book’s recommendations, a ban on moorland burning, became a reality. Next, we need a Nature Bill for England… bsky.app/profile/wain...
- The WINNER of the 2025 Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing... The Lie of the Land, @guyshrubsole.bsky.social (@wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social) #WainwrightPrize #StoriesThatConnect
- Reposted by Lewis WinksThis week's column. The details will make you gasp and rage. This massive desecration of nature is almost unbelievable, but it is happening in the UK right now. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksThis prize draw is generously supported by some of the cream of British nature writing. A fiver to enter might win you books, art and other goodies. That’s the ‘maybe’… the ‘definitely’ is that it will support our work to connect everyone in England and Wales with their nearby nature.
- Want to support the campaign for a real Right to Roam across England & Wales, all while having a chance to win a bundle of beautiful nature bundles? Take part in our Prize Draw which closes at the end of the week! Supported by @foldedorset.bsky.social www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/right-to-r...
- Your chance to support Right to Roam's trailblazing grassroots work to expand responsible access to land and water. All proceeds will go towards a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shift in our relationship with the countryside PLUS a chance to win some nature inspired prizes! ⬇️✨
- Want to support the campaign for a real Right to Roam across England & Wales, all while having a chance to win a bundle of beautiful nature bundles? Take part in our Prize Draw which closes at the end of the week! Supported by @foldedorset.bsky.social www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/right-to-r...
- My mate Damien is currently undertaking the world's longest litter pick - the Lu'Crusade - on his bicycle, to raise money for Trash Free Trails. If you can, please support his efforts! www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksLove #Dartmoor? Now’s your chance to influence its future. People who care passionately about the National Park are invited to share their views on the priorities that will guide this unique landscape for years to come. Complete the Public Opinion Survey: forms.office.com/pages/respon...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksI got hold of the latest *official* stats for how many pheasants are being bred, reared and released in England It's a big number - 25.9 million - but it's far less than the reality It points to widespread rule-breaking by shooting estates failing to register: whoownsengland.org/2025/07/31/l...
- Great leader in today's Guardian building on our research into ownership of rivers: "...there is no guarantee that landowners will allow the public to enjoy these landscapes. This, surely, has to change." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksHappy #RewildingRoundup 🐛💚 🌊 Research by @lewis-winks.bsky.social has shown that Devon's river Dart has a staggering 108 owners, many of whom are aristocracy, demonstrating the vital link between conserving nature and addressing the country's need for more public access & ownership.
- Reposted by Lewis WinksExcellent to hear @lewis-winks.bsky.social on the Today programme this morning discussing his research on 'Who owns the River Dart' - and why this shows we need a right of responsible access Listen here (45mins in): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... Guardian story: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Over the past 18 months I've been walking estates, speaking with landowners, examining angling maps, and trawling online records to determine who owns the River Dart in Devon- finally I can share the results! Research: whoownsengland.org/2025/07/29/w... Article: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- There are 108 separate riparian landowners from source to sea. 1/4 of the riverbank is owned by aristocrats and new money 10% is owned by 34 corporations. 7% is owned by farms, and 13% by individuals. 38% is registered to addresses outside of the catchment. 18.7km is owned via offshore companies.
- I hope this research supports campaigns for a rights-based approach to river access, rather than complex permissive negotiations; I also hope it supports groups such as Friends of The Dart to push for better protections for rivers. Finally, I hope it inspires others to undertake their own research!
- Reposted by Lewis Winks@lewis-winks.bsky.social, who compiled the River Dart research: “We’re calling for a rights-based approach to river access – similar to the system in Scotland, where the public has the right to responsibly walk, swim, paddle and canoe along most rivers and lochs, with sensible exceptions.”
- Reposted by Lewis WinksI've spent many hours on, in and beside the Dart. I found this fascinating, enraging and illuminating - and it probably applies to a river near you.
- Who owns the River Dart? 108 separate landowners, it turns out - with 11 miles of it owned by offshore companies! Great research by @lewis-winks.bsky.social which shows why the Government's 9 river walks policy won't work without a right of responsible access 1/ www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksWho owns the River Dart? 108 separate landowners, it turns out - with 11 miles of it owned by offshore companies! Great research by @lewis-winks.bsky.social which shows why the Government's 9 river walks policy won't work without a right of responsible access 1/ www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksThis looks like really positive news. Very happy to be proven posthumously correct and see many of my concerns addressed. Well done to @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @wclnews.bsky.social, @rspb.bsky.social and everyone who fought for proper nature protections in planning.
- Reposted by Lewis WinksBack in court for day 2 of our Dartmoor legal challenge today....and a timely, excellent piece from @phoebeweston.bsky.social on overgrazing. Expert local opinion from the brilliant @tonydartmoor.bsky.social & @guyshrubsole.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksSome politicians like to pretend it's people's wellbeing or nature's. In truth, people benefit from the same conditions - cool shade, clean air, pure water - that wildlife needs. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksThe more we discover, the worse it gets. Now we learn the water companies wrote the guidance ensuring sewage sludge is not tested for the vast majority of contaminants before being spread on farmland. They gave themselves a free licence to dump hazardous waste. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksAnd here's why things are out of control: How England’s outdated water tracking system leaves regulators in the dark 4/4 www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksBridehead Unvisited… Today around a hundred of us trespassed in the Bridehead Estate, where access was recently closed to the public by the new corporate owners - to protest the fragility of permissive access & how companies are enclosing the countryside www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/2529187...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksToday, the UK government intends to ban the non-violent protesters Palestine Action as a "terrorist" group, exposing anyone supporting them to terrorism charges. In 2 days, 380,000 people have watched this video on YT alone. You're going to need a bigger prison. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECkV...
- Reposted by Lewis Winks“The real conflict is not town v country, but money & power v people.” Profound piece by @georgemonbiot.bsky.social on the forthcoming eviction of an entire village by a faceless plutocrat, the enclosure of access, & @righttoroam.bsky.social’s next mass trespass: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksThis is a grim, rather extreme example in Dorset, but whenever I’m in England I hate to see permissive access signs. Without rights, permission can always be withdrawn. @righttoroam.bsky.social
- More details on @righttoroam.bsky.social’s 5th July trespass at the Bridehead Estate in Dorset - ‘Bridehead Unvisited’, a peaceful protest against faceless money locking away our land - here: www.eventbrite.com/e/bridehead-...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksThe people of Littlebredy, a village of 32 homes, wholly owned by the Bridehead Estate Ltd, say they have been ordered to leave from Jan. But who owns Bridehead Estate Ltd? No one seems to know, but the company is registered to the same address as Belport Ltd. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
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View full threadReposted by Lewis WinksI’ve been looking into this for some time, as has @lewis-winks.bsky.social, but we can’t definitively find out who the faceless new owner of Bridehead Estate is… we need an open Land Registry and for all beneficial owners of trusts & companies (overseas, UK) to be made transparent
- "Power hides by setting us against each other. This is never more true than in the countryside, where the impacts of an extreme concentration of ownership and control are blamed on those who have nothing to do with it." Superb piece by @georgemonbiot.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksMuch kudos to this new campaign group - give them a follow! @reclaimourmoors.bsky.social raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/06/19/r...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksThe most meaningful nature is often that which is closest to us. But slowly, quietly, these spaces are being taken away. Micro-enclosures are happening all around us. If you have a special connection to Bridehead, we invite you to join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bridehead-...
- Fantastic list here - so much we can do in our own neighborhoods, gardens, schools and verges to help insects. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- I'm appalled at Derby University charging £250 per ticket for their Nature Connections conference. It amazes me that people can have sincere conversations about nature connection & completely miss the social justice & inclusivity aspects which encompass our relationship with nature, or lack thereof.
- I have huge respect for Miles Richardson and his team - their research has guided my work and thinking, and underpinned some incredible initiatives and action. Miles' blog 'Finding Nature' is a trove of information and inspiration for those working on nature connection in research and practice.
- The environment/conservation sector has a massive issue with inclusivity and diversity - putting such a price-tag on this conference is an insult to those who are working to overcome participation barriers.
- Universities have for a long time used conferences as money-spinners for them and their corporate partners. Perhaps next year the team might consider holding this conference outside of the university, and opening its doors a little wider.
- Reposted by Lewis Winks🌿 I’m proud to stand up for our Right to Roam! 🥾 Access to nature shouldn’t be a privilege — it should be a right for everyone. That’s why I’ve taken this campaign to Parliament, calling for greater access to our countryside. 🌳 📖 Find out why to 👉 www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/2519698...
- If you happened to purchase a 2,000-acre estate in rural Dorset, complete with an entire village, six farms and a cricket pitch, you might not start your innings as a landlord by revoking longstanding public access there... Oh. @righttoroam.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
- Reposted by Lewis Winks“Whilst kayaking, I’ve had rocks thrown at me by other river users. I’ve had threats of my tyres being slashed. And I’ve had landowners threaten to drill holes in my kayak or call the police” “All because of disputes over who can access our rivers.” Find out more 👇 observer.co.uk/news/the-sen...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksLooking forward to this seminar at @gsiexeter.bsky.social next Weds. I will talk about the legal case I brought with @wealdactiongroup.bsky.social, the ramifications since we won, and what needs to be done to end new fossil fuel consents in the UK. All welcome, at Exeter University or online
- Join the GSI for the next talk in our seminar series, this time with climate campaigner @sarahfinch.bsky.social who won a landmark legal victory last year which has had major implications for fossil fuel developments in the UK and beyond. You can find out more here: tinyurl.com/5n7pj2h2 #GSIExeter
- Reposted by Lewis WinksBBC on the significance of the Supreme Court judgment in support of wild camping this week. 'Ms Harrison said she was "over the moon" about the judgement. "It is a magical thing to do," she said of being out in the natural environment and sleeping under the stars."' www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksLovely atmosphere at Haytor yesterday. We worried it would be a requiem for a lost right, but instead it was a victory party for people over selfish wealth. Ace speeches by @lewis-winks.bsky.social @guyshrubsole.bsky.social @carolinevoadenmp.bsky.social More: www.advnture.com/camping/righ...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksWhat a wonderful, joyful occasion. Rich landowner Alexander Darwall has given impetus to the campaign to expand wild camping rights to all national parks, and a responsible right to roam across England and Wales. Well done @righttoroam.bsky.social and everyone involved.
- The stars are for everyone, forever, thanks to three years of tireless campaigning to ensure wild camping rights are safe on Dartmoor. Today we celebrated this historic victory at Haytor. Tomorrow we will continue to work for access rights for all, beyond Dartmoor.
- Reposted by Lewis Winks@lewis-winks.bsky.social planting the flag along with hundreds of others on Haytor. These moors are our place! To connect with, to steward, to protect.
- Reposted by Lewis WinksFor folks coming to the Haytor rally tomorrow, here’s a Google map by @lewis-winks.bsky.social showing meeting points, appropriate car parks, and - if you’re walking in - the bird nesting areas to stay away from: www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/e...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksA pleasure to share a stage this morning at the new Dartmoor Tors Festival with @campaignerkate.bsky.social @lewis-winks.bsky.social & @matthewjkelly.bsky.social A perfect time in this historic week to be discussing Dartmoor’s past, present & future influence on public access rights to nature!
- Reposted by Lewis WinksThe banner’s up… the #DartmoorTorsFestival starts today! Lots to enjoy inc talks with writers, archaeologists, artists incl @lisaschneidau.bsky.social @guyshrubsole.bsky.social , @lewis-winks.bsky.social and walks shorturl.at/Oomce
- Reposted by Lewis WinksIt really, really shouldn't be such a surprise when justice wins out over money, but when it does, it's hard not to hop about with glee! Bank Holiday Monday: @right2roam.bsky.social @guyshrubsole.bsky.social westcountryvoices.co.uk/the-dartmoor...
- Reposted by Lewis WinksWE WON! The Supreme Court has upheld the right to wild camp on Dartmoor. This is a huge win for access to nature. But we're just getting started. It was never just about Dartmoor. We’re fighting to extend the right to roam, swim, and sleep under the stars - across all of England.
