Dartmoor Training Area
Print-friendly page
Integrated Land Management Plan (ILMP)
Environmental
Management
System
(EMS)
Integrated Land Management Plan (ILMP)
Site Information
Dartmoor Training Area consists of 13,000ha of moorland located due south of the town of Okehampton, Devon. Light forces training is undertaken across Okehampton Willsworthy and Merrivale in the north of the moor and Cramber and Ringmoor to the south and is supported by the military battle camps of Okehampton and Willsworthy. An additional 35,000ha of unenclosed land is used by troops to walk across and the total area forms 14% of Dartmoor National Park.
While the Ministry of Defence owns most of Willsworthy Training Area, an area of 1,354ha, training is primarily undertaken across privately owned land through formal licence agreements. The MOD maintains a close relationship with the Dartmoor farming community and Commoners to facilitate the management of military training and the land over which the troops train. Across Ministry of Defence freehold land, Ministry of Defence licences the grazing of stock and other activities that are consistent with the national park.
The high moor across which the military train is a hostile and remote environment, with transport links leading to the moor rather than across it. The geodiversity, soils and hydrology of the moor have defined the rugged landscape character and provide the headwaters for a multitude of local water catchments.
The landscape has been modified by traditional agricultural practices, habitation and industrial activity.
This has resulted in special qualities that have been recognised by designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation.
While Dartmoor’s landscape appears, on the surface, to vary little from year to year, climate change will increasingly impact on the habitats and species found across the moor and hence the management of military activities.
By managing the military training, and though strong relationships with farmers and Commoners, Ministry of Defence is able to care for the [natural] and [historic] diversity of the moorland and share access to the moor with the Dartmoor community and [visitors]. The Ministry of Defence is committed to the government target for supporting sustainable communities and is aware of the socio economic contribution that military training on Dartmoor provides to the local community.
