NEWS that Vixen Tor, the only privately owned tor on Dartmoor, will not be declared open to the public under the new Countryside and Rights of Way Act has been greeted with anger by ramblers and countryside groups. The tor, owned by farmer Mary Alford and her son Daniel, will now remain closed to the public after the planning inspectorate upheld their appeal that the land should not be marked as open access on the new CROW maps. Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society, said the decision was a ?kick in the teeth to those of us who have fought for freedom to roam on open country and have for years wandered freely and responsibly over this lovely area?. She said: ?Vixen Tor is, we believe, just the sort of land which government ministers intended, and the public expected, that the right to roam act should include.? Ms Ashbrook said the tor was a ?mecca? , loved by locals and visitors alike and she doubted the decision would stop people trying to find their way into it in the future. She said the decision on Vixen Tor was ?a close call? and planning inspectors had been cautious, giving the benefit of the doubt to Mary and Daniel Alford. ?Clearly, this is of great concern to us and we hope the objectors will seek professional advice on the next steps, to try and save this land for access.? Kate Conto, head of access at the Ramblers? Association, said: ?We are shocked and angered by this decision. It?s clear from the inquiry findings that the land does qualify as open country ? it?s inconceivable that the public won?t be able to enjoy access to this beautiful part of our heritage because of the actions of one landowner.? She said the Ramblers? Association believed from the inspector?s own report that the wrong decision had been reached. A spokesman for Dartmoor National Park Authority said: ?The National Park Authority will be seeking advice on the options available to find a solution to the access problem on Vixen Tor.? Mary Alford closed Vixen Tor in 2003. She erected ?keep out? notices on the walls around the tor, bringing to an end more than 30 years of unhindered access to the private land. Mrs Alford and her son made the move, claiming they were worried they could be held liable if a walker or climber injured themselves on the tor. Mrs Alford, who was fined by Plymouth magistrates for fertilising the moorland at Vixen Tor last year, said: ?We bought Vixen Tor as a farm, we?ve farmed it as a farm, that?s what it is. I am glad common sense has prevailed and the inspectors upheld our appeal.?