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Take back the Land - camp and occupation

Saturday, 4 May 2019

The Land Justice Network are organising Take Back The Land: a camp and land occupation near Hebden Bridge. Around Walshaw Moor.

Everyone is welcome: they plan to protest, hold workshops, sing songs, and take action together to call for land reform in England.

People who wish to take part should bring a tent, sturdy footwear, warm clothes, "and a strong desire to change the world".

Take back the land

The 16,000-acre Walshaw Estate, a giant grouse moor owned by a wealthy retail tycoon, looms over Hebden Bridge and the Calder Valley. The landowner burns the moor to breed more grouse for sport, and tHebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd flood.

The Land Justice Network argue that the moor should be owned by the community and managed in its interests.  They say that if the community in the Calder Valley were given control of Walshaw Moor, they would manage it properly - slowing the flow of water downstream, restoring the land to ecological health and locking up carbon to address the climate emergency. But for that to happen, politicians need to change the law. There needs to be land reform.

The camp will be a peaceful protest, open to all and family friendly. Visit for as little or long as you please. The camp booklet, which visitors will be given upon arrival, contains a legal briefing

There’s going to be lots of workshops, singing and dancing.

The network argues that, "The landowner’s intensive slash-and-burn management of the moor has deprived the community of the natural flood defences they need. As long ago as 2013, Hebden residents successfully lodged a complaint with the European Commission against the Walshaw Estate’s practices. Now the UK Government agrees that burning of protected blanket bog has to stop. Yet still Walshaw Estate persists – propped up by over £280k in public farm subsidies in 2017. We need the government to ban the burn."

The site of the Land Camp and Occupation will be revealed soon.

See also

Land Justice Network website

Facebook page - Take Back the Land

HebWeb Forum: "The Take Back the Land campaigners should be utterly ashamed of themselve . . ." (11 May 2019)

HebWeb News: Stop Grouse Shooting demo in Hebden Bridge (Aug 2018)

HebWeb News: The not-so-glorious twelfth (Aug 2016)

HebWeb Forum: Moorland burning (March-April 2014)

HebWeb News: Ban The Burn campaigners mop up (Feb 2014)

HebWeb News: Ban the Burn campaign press European Commission to act on moorland burning (Jan 2013)

HebWeb News: Ban the Burn (Aug 2012)

Guardian: National campaign against moorland bog-burning to launch as grouse-shooting begins (Aug 2012)