> Roberts asked him whether there was a bridge we could cross further on. He shook his head and courteously informed us, in a Devonshire accent as soft and mulchy as the ground beneath our feet, that we were on land privately owned by one of his neighbours, and that the more densely forested territory across the river was private, too, and that we technically required a permit to walk this trail
Wouldn't this be covered by the right to roam [1] [2]? What he intended to do once he found a good spot might count as camping, which isn't covered, but just walking there seems like it would be covered.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/right-of-way-open-access-land/use-your-ri...