Camping Ideas Please Help

[S8AN]

First I'd like to say hi to everyone I'm new here and newish to the bushcraft way of life although I've always been interested.

I live in London and it's hard to get to the country and let your hair down, which I'm planning on doing a lot of shortly.

my question(s) are about camping in general - where would a good place for me to start, I'm not sure i like the sound of general camp sites as I tink it defeats the reason for why I'm out there in the first place if I want electricity I'll stay at home.

I just wanna rough it for a few days see how I get on. I've read that many places don't like fires etc but I've looked at many a photo on here and people are doing it but where lol.

Obviously safety is why your not allowed to have an open flame or fire in a forest but with the right care it ok ie clearing the ground maybe laying a bed of rocks/stones first then have your little fire ontop of that.

I suppose what I'm looking for is the true sense of the word bushcraft and camping.

any ideas of places nearish to me and anything else you can think of would be much appreciated

thanks in advance

Sean

 

[S8AN]

I think I may have answered my own question any of you interested in the results check out this site

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=4

 

[pibbleb]

Try this one on for size. It is local enough for you to visit for a weekend rather than risk a week and you hate it.

This one!

You'll note they allow fires as well. But note the site gets booked up very quickly so you will need to think about booking sooner rather than later.

If you are looking for a half way house of roughing it and civilisation this looks like a winner to me! I haven't been myself, but the family are hoping to go this summer. (My wife doesn't do roughing it!) Featherdown Farm You will note that the camping is kind of frontier based with canvas walls and roof but proper beds, furniture and wood burning stove.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

P

 

[hammock monkey]

hi s8tan, (how many times have i siad that over the years!)
i wouldnt bother with the orchard campsite (wickham market) on the uk camping page - its a full on Caravan/ RV site, not great. i find the review a huge over statement of its 'wild' facilities...its much more of a normal family site.
someone on this forum has a campsite that would suit you, its further away but the time there will be worth it.
search for 'yellow' on this forum, its called 'yellowstone' (or similar - cant remember but hopefully i'll get to visit it this year!)
cheers

 

[paulcd]

Thanks for the plug, hammock monkey! www.yellowwood.co.uk We are in Herefordshire.

 

[Bushcraft4life]

Don't go to ST ives farm if you have a German Shepherd !!!! And, well. Don't go there at all. Its on the website on your first post(which allows campfires). It is rubbish.

And the last thing is welcome to the website

 

[Geoffrey_Bubbles]

I can second BlackBerryWood down near Brighton. Its a nice spot with a limited number of pitches, most of which are set in their own little cospice which gives as good a sense of being out on your own as you'll get at any proper campsite (at least from my own personal experience of camp sites).

The owners are very friendly, however it is a bit pricey, especially if there is a group of you, and the facilities like the showers when I was there last (beginning of 2006) were adequate, but not the nicest/cleanest loos/showers I've experienced on a proper campsite and there aren't really enough to go round for the 20 pitches. Might of improved since then though and generally speaking, its a good camp site if you want a proper fire (take some of your own firewood though!).

Geoff

 

[S8AN]

thanks guys for your messages I'll def look into them.

Hopefully soon enough I'll be putting some pictures on here of things I've done.

Take care

Sean

 

[Riven]

Hi,just to let you know of a site I have visited in Wales since a boy.It is romanticaly called 'Shell Island' in Llandbedr North Wales in Snowdonia and although it does have amenities you can get into the sanddunes away from others,light fires and forage for shellfish as well as fishing for no extra fee.Its tents only so you don't see all those sat dishes on caravans.Great scenery too!
All the best, Riven

 

[fred gordon]

How do you fancy Scotland? Some fantastic camping there. One of my favourite areas is the Ardnamurchan penninsula. Superb oakwoods, sea and freshwater lochs and plenty opportunities for Bushcraft. Huge mussels on the shore, lots of fungi. Several good sites if you Google it. eg. Resipole farm caravan and camping.

 

[nobby]

Hi,just to let you know of a site I have visited in Wales since a boy.It is romanticaly called 'Shell Island' in Llandbedr North Wales in Snowdonia and although it does have amenities you can get into the sanddunes away from others,light fires and forage for shellfish as well as fishing for no extra fee.Its tents only so you don't see all those sat dishes on caravans.Great scenery too!
All the best, Riven

There is another further up the coast between Porthmadoc and Criccieth. About a mile before Criccieth on the right and you turn in by a bungalow. Adequate sanitary facilities and a big area including a small piece of woodland. best out of school holidays. Next door is a simple farm site. Excellent fish and chips in Harlech and Cadwalladers ice cream all along the coast. Good railway route as well.
There are usually dolphins to be seen at Shell Island and above Llanbedr, walking back into the hills towards the Devil's Staircase(?), there are a couple of places where you can rough camp.