Bushcraft Site List

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

yogi

Member
Jul 9, 2008
23
0
chichester
After posting a Question on out and about i was thinking can we compile a list avalible to members only of bushcraft sites within a area with a contact link through BCUK letting the owner of the land know who is there and maybe a payment or work party channeled through the site.
 

saddle_tramp

Need to contact Admin...
Jul 13, 2008
605
1
West Cornwall
not trying to p*ss on your fire mate, but i would have thought that those who have approached land owners, gained the trust of them and have been granted permission to practice bushcraft on thier land, might be a little hessitant about posting the details of such places on any site. Im sure the kind hearted landowners tha do grant permission, do so on a personal level and not simply open the gates to bushcrafters in general.


Be like posting details of my best bass mark and then pondering as to why its always crowded and fished out.
 

Jedadiah

Native
Jan 29, 2007
1,349
1
Northern Doghouse
Got to agree with Saddle Tramp there. Even if it did come to fruition, it would only be posted on the 'Full Members' area of the site as every where else is open access. Actually, that reminds me..............
 

Grooveski

Native
Aug 9, 2005
1,707
10
53
Glasgow
Can't say I'd be keen to put spots on a list either.
I do PM members sometimes if they're asking about the west coast, I invite people from meets out quite often and anyone with a map could likely work them out themselves from trip reports.

Up here you're legaly allowed to camp just about anywhere and although the laird doesn't mind folk using the land the fear is that somone goes axe-happy on the area, goes vandalising insect habitats or the likes because they seen it on the TV or - as mentioned above - the site ends up popular and the peace is lost.
From reading the forum over a few years it's apparent that a lot of members have the same reluctance to advertise their spots where permission has been gained. I don't blame them one bit.

Must say that among the members I've camped out with I've seen nothing but respect for nature and property. It's one thing to meet folk in person and decide to share a spot though, quite another to slap a location onto a public forum for all to read.
 

woodstock

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 7, 2007
3,568
68
67
off grid somewhere else
Must agree with saddle tramp I have access to 3 woods and only take people very occasionally and on the understanding that it is available only when i am there as I have had people just turning up saying that a friend of a friend told them it was ok
 

alpha_centaur

Settler
Jan 2, 2006
728
0
45
Millport, Scotland
the fear is that somone goes axe-happy on the area, goes vandalising insect habitats or the likes because they seen it on the TV or - as mentioned above - the site ends up popular and the peace is lost.

<RANT>See the side of loch lomond as a perfect example</RANT> Sometimes I think the right to camp/go pretty much anywhere isn't necessarly the best idea.
 

novembeRain

Nomad
Sep 23, 2008
365
3
41
lincoln
ok, good points there guys.

Rather than posting individual places then, how about some pointers?

For example, it would seem the scout sites are ok - as long as you get permission / book it.

What about other places, like the forestry commision?

Instead of details of places to go, what about suggestions of places you're likely to be allowed and how to go about getting permission, without saying exactly where?

A good start would be how do you find out who owns / owns the rights to a certain place?

I'm not having a go but surely the idea of forums is for "enthusiasts" to support eachother rather than being a little, imo, defietist.
 

saddle_tramp

Need to contact Admin...
Jul 13, 2008
605
1
West Cornwall
I would have thought that the forestry commision, being responsible for the maintinance of a potentially combustable crop. . . would simply say no to anyone wishing to light fires on their land.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Bearing in mind that I am Scottish and finding spaces to chill out in the woods isn't as difficult for us...... to be honest Yogi and novembeRain, most of us pass along suitable sites by word of mouth and I'm pretty sure we'd all be reluctant to post them on any open website.

This forum is incredibly public, with literally millions of hits a year. However, we do meet up, make arrangements to wander, camp, forage with each other, and it's generally there, around a fire and a brew up, that sites are discussed.

I agree with the idea, in principle, but the reality is that unless the sites discussed are public ones, such as commercial campsites and openly available areas, folks aren't going to be happy giving details.

It's not intentionally defeatist just rather pragmatic.
Get to know some of the others in your area, or on line by pm, and see where that takes you.

cheers,
Toddy
 

stooboy

Settler
Apr 30, 2008
635
1
Fife, Scotland
My general process is to look at the OS maps, either hard copy of via memory map, ill pick out spots i think are suitable for camping, then over to google maps to get some aerial photos or sometimes the other sites like multimap are better to get an idea of the area around the forrest, is it just knee high stuff or proper woodland. Then if the forrest/loch whatever has a name ill go over to flickr photo website and see if people have tagged any photos of the area.

With all that you gennerally get a good idea of a new spot. And ideally if cloes enough ill take a day trip with the dog to check it out, thats here in scotland though.

For england and wales i guess you can find out from the local council or land registry who the owner is once youve identified a potential spot, then maybes a polite letter asking if permission is possible, stateing your intentions, leaving only footprints etc, the fact you have went to the effort to formally and politley ask permission will speak volumes from there I guess its down to the individual who owns the site.

As for shareing my spots, im like the others i to have seen runined spots, generally though its the easy to get to ones at loch sides with the road not more than 10 feet away. Im always agahast at the fact most councils here offer free skips yet all around the country you will find waching machines, tv's, gas bottles dumped in some of the remotest roads and country side....

Stoo.
 

novembeRain

Nomad
Sep 23, 2008
365
3
41
lincoln
noooo, that's not what I was getting at.

I'm also a member of another forum for people who are into shooting, on that forum, there's a whole erm, section about getting permission to shoot on people's land. For example, who to approach (though I can't remember if there's anything about how to find that person). The suggestion of the forrestry commission was just that, a suggestion. There must be other governing bodies who deal with woodland / wilderness who are "on side" or simply worth a call.

I'm lucky in a way as the land I shoot on also has some woodland which is ok for me to use but I'm sure a large number of us don't know anyone who can give permission to do what we do so, how do you go about it then?

I'd imagine you find somewhere you'd like to go, then find the land owner or someone else who has the authority to give you permission but HOW? How do you find that person and how do you go about asking for permission?

There must be loads of advise for those of us who haven't yet established ourselves as well as many on here have, all I was saying was why not help out a bit.

There's always going to be idiots in any group of people and, while I understand the cagieness, what I was trying to say was - please help as much as you can without giving too much away rather than jumping up and down ranting about why you shouldn't give any specifics away on a public forum - you don't need to, if you don't want to say it on here - don't say it but that doesn't mean there's no advise you CAN give.

Edit; Sorry Stoo, I missed your post somehow, that's more like what I meant though I doubt the council would give any details out because of the data protection act, not a bad suggestion though.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
No one is ranting in response novembeRain, simply explaining.

Gaining access to land is not straightforward, and it's an on going question. To my certain knowledge there are at least ten other threads on the topic, all full of good advice.

People are simply replying courteously to someone not long on the forum, and suggesting the best way to discuss the matter is face to face.

cheers,
Toddy
 

Mesquite

It is what it is.
Mar 5, 2008
27,803
2,892
62
~Hemel Hempstead~
One way to find somewhere is to ask around all your family and friends if they know anyone who owns a wood... then use them for a personal introduction which is much better than just turning up on some landowners doorstep asking can I camp in your woods?

I know this approach does work as that's how I got my woods :D
 

yogi

Member
Jul 9, 2008
23
0
chichester
Thanks for the advice.
I was not after you giving up your hard won places of retreat but a more formal way of getting into bushcraft for the one's like me who only manage to get out very rarely.
With a network of sites open to members with some sort of insentive for the landowner .
Not a free for all and i dont want to be looking over my shoulder or breaking any laws i'm
not like that.
But it looks like i will have to try harder (sounds like my old school report's )
I'm going on the arundal meet and looking forward to that.
Thanks again.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Hope it's a good one :D
I do know that somewhere there's a list of suitable commercial campsites that members recommended. Sites where the owners were favourably inclined towards bushcraft type folks, allowing open fires and the like.......anyone remember where ?

cheers,
Toddy
 

novembeRain

Nomad
Sep 23, 2008
365
3
41
lincoln
thanks Toddy, I didn't mean to sound so abrupt and I didn't realise there were other threads about. I was just explaining what I meant.

I understand it's not easy to gain permission - I've been there with the shooting. But all advise, especially to the newbies, of course goes a long way.

With there being so many threads on this subject, could it not be a sticky or a section all of it's own? Have a look at this http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/index.php?showforum=15
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
The Out and About forum is probably the best place for something like that. I think the best idea is to run the idea past Tony and see if he wants to change the existing set up. I must admit that things are a bit ad hoc on the advice for sites front at present.

cheers,
Toddy
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE