Lancs/Cumbria BC locations

[Tripitaka]

Can anyone recommend locations in Lancs, Cumbria or maybe West Yorks to practice bushcraft?

Where do you go that is remote enough?

How do you go about permissions and approaches etc?

I'll be honest at this point and say that I usually sneak into places and go very low-key but I really don't want to continue that; I'd rather be open and comfortable with it.

Mark.

 

[andywinkk]

Were about's are you in lancashire ?

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

There is a Campstie in cumbria at Rowley Wood Nr Satterwaite(Nr Grizdale) that allows open fires.

 

[Tripitaka]

Andy - I'm west of Blackpool; Thornton-Cleveleys to be precise!

Matt - I know of a few campsites that allow open fires but I was thinking about the more remote spots of patches of woodland that may be available to us. It's a different experience to be out there alone or in a small group than at the edge of a commercial campsite, however small.

 

[EdS]

there ain't any unless you get land owners OK. Then it is permitted camping on private land.

 

[Tripitaka]

Hmmm....thats what I understood too.

NT seem to own most wooded areas around Cumbria. Has anyone approached them for access in the past?

 

[EdS]

not a cat in hells chance, even less if you mention fire - in breach of byelaws.


altohugh there are spots if you keep your head down.

In the Lakes wild camping (with out fires) is tollerated above the intake walls and if you are out of site of houses and don't stay for more than a night or 2

 

[EdS]

From the NT web site:

The Trust does not generally allow camping on non-recognised sites without permission. 'Wild camping', where permitted (for example in the Lake District, in upland areas above 450m), should be out of sight of the public highway, entail only one-night stopovers with a maximum of two campers and leave no trace of their presence

 

[lostagain]

From experience there's loads of places to camp with tent/bivi where you won't see a soul or get hassled as long as it's above the last dry stone wall and out of sight. An open fire isn't out of the question there either as long as there's no trace / out of sight again and you can light the thing in the first place as there's little shelter up in't hills.

As for getting lower down in teh valleys amongst the tree's, I haven't yet found an ideal spot. One or two where you can sneek a quiet night but again no fires.

If anyone would like to share their knowledge of places to hide where you won't bother anyone and anyone won't bother you in the Lakes I'd be very grateful.

Do we not have a member of BCUK who works/knows someone who works for the NT and can open a line of enquiry similar to the thread that was started about British Waterways (paying a £20 fee (admin costs) for a slip of paper saying 'this hairy, homeless looking person has our permission to camp here (and light a small fire)' sort of thing.

I would be more than happy to pay a small charge annually for permission to camp within NT / United Utilities land and it goes without saying that any place i stayed would be left without a trace that i had been there.

 

[Tripitaka]

I wild camp quite a bit "above the last wall" but I should have been clearer about what I was looking for and I think you summed it up here lostagain; somewhere to put my hammock, out of sight and have a small fire.

I'd gladly pay an annual fee or suchlike to do this.

 

[demographic]

I for one would never even consider wild camping just by Hodge Close quarry thats off the road from Coniston to Skelwith Bridge, just up the No Through Road, nope, not me, no siree

A map of that area should show you the rough area not to camp and I would strongly advise against turning up, walking into the woods a bit, setting up camp then cracking a beer open so you would be illegal to drive to another area because that would be irresponsable.

 

[lostagain]

Thanks Demographic, I live quite close to Skelwith Bridge and on my travels may have inadvertently stumbled across that particular site. Now at least i know where I'm definately not going on my next one night out !!

 

[demographic]

Thanks Demographic, I live quite close to Skelwith Bridge and on my travels may have inadvertently stumbled across that particular site. Now at least i know where I'm definately not going on my next one night out !!

Its fair to say that theres been no times whatsoever when me and a few mates have turned up in that general area on motorbikes and kipped overnight, theres also never been any occasion when one of the blokes who lives in the little hamlet just by Hodge Close had come and shared a few beers with us.
Always be friendly with the locals, move on after a night, tidy up after yourself and don't take the ****.

 

[fast but dim]

i love hodge close: i take my camper, an old renault traffic, up there, put a hammock between a couple of the silver birches on the car park and chill out with the family.Saves paying for a camp site if i can only get to the lakes late.
I've never been hassled or ask to move on, and i'm parked in a big beige van.
Never thought of it as a site for a wild camp, but fits the bill,
my 5 yr old loves going to the water via the cave: i tell him there are dinosaurs there, lol.

wouldn't want to get drunk there though!

ps: was thinking of staying there sunday night this week, if anyone sees me, come over.
Its a toss up between there, off the walna scar rd or on the far side of esthwaite, gr362954(great spot, car park on the lake, picnic benches, I've had fires on the lakeshore to keep midges away)

 

[Wayland]

I wouldn't stop at Hodge close if I were you.

Especially not in the cave to the left of this view.

 

[EdS]

Walna Scar Rd was closed to Mechanically Propelled vehicles on 2 May 2006 following Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 and is now a Restricted Byway

Driving up there risk a ticket from the police, potential impounding of the vehicle, grief form the Ramblers and the increasing the likelyhood of of other unsurfaced road bee nclosed.

Plese do not drive up Walna Scar Rd - it is illegal, even the unoffical walkers car park, as the Restricted Byway starts at the fell wall gate at NGR SD2891 9706

 

[Wayland]

That's a blow. I've been using the Walna Scar road for years as a stopping point.

Another one to scratch off the list...

 

[EdS]

to be honest I don't think they bother too much about the first section where folks tend to park.

 

[demographic]

I wouldn't stop at Hodge close if I were you.

Especially not in the cave to the left of this view.

Been there a few times absailing off the highest point but the steel staging where we used to land is pretty much kaput now so the good bit would result in a wet landing.

Used the full length of a 50 metre rope and before someone went down it the rope wouldn't touch the bottom, After someone went down it it stretched enough.

 

[maddave]

I went diving in there once, and there was a bunch of Royal Marines abseiling with a 30m rope and just lobbing right off the end into the water..... nutters !