Finding a woodland spot for a day out bushcrafting

[smojo]

Hi I'm a newbie and just getting started with some bushcraft activity. I've had a few half days exploring local woods, foraging and just enjoying the place. I'd like to take it a step further and have a crack at finding kindling and firewood and starting a fire from found material and maybe making a brew and heating up some soup or something simple, do a bit of woodcarving etc. I didn't know what the laws were about fires and camping so contacted my local council who are responsible for the woods. They said I was OK to do small woodcrafting as long as I didn't remove large quantities of wood but camping overnight wasn't allowed and only fires lit in a purpose-made stove were allowed. I guess my Honey stove would qualify for that but here's the questions aimed at you experienced folks.

Where do you go to indulge your hobby, do you seek permission and use private woods or do you just find a nice quiet spot somewhere that the general public rarely go? Or do you just do it and to hell with what people think? My woods are used quite a lot by dog walkers etc and I feel kind of guilty and conspicuous when doing stuff there. I feel as if I'm somehow being "a bit naughty". Is it just me being oversensitive because I haven't done much of this yet or should I find some better locations? It's a very nice mature deciduous wood and I can walk there so a shame if I can't use it.

So how do you all feel when you are out solo? Do you feel you have a right to be there and just get on with it or what? Really interested to see what the consensus is so as many replies as possible please.

 

[Jonbodthethird]

To be honest, some people may frown at me but most of our countryside is owned by a privately own company and it's estate is massive (covers a 25mile radius) I've asked for permission and the secretary more or less told me that she hasn't got time to bother the estate managers that will end up being a no. So I trespass, I go to woods that are not being used and are soley unworkable and I haven't been bothered or caught. I'm looking for permission still but most farmers I've asked kinda think I'm barmy?! Lol. I leave the area as I found it. Minus the footprints and haven't had any grief or bother from anyone. I avoid any woods with the obvious game and any shooting spots. That's all there is too it with me.


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[Macaroon]

If you've taken the time to ask the owners ( council ) and they say you're ok within certain limits, then use it to the full and comply with those limits. You can use your time there to practice and hone your carving skills and campcraft, sort your kit out and get used to being out for long days ( when they arrive! ). In the meantime, get yourself about and seek out your own "permission", they are about, and if you search this forum there's some very useful advice on how to look for ground to use and how to approach people when you have found a potential site.

If you're on land where you know you are allowed to be and are allowed to use, don't feel intimidated; there's generally an area away from sight of the dog walkers where you can tuck yourself away and get on with stuff.
This is generally much easier in summer when the leaves are full.

Above all, be polite and friendly to anybody who approaches you, you'd be surprised how far that'll get you, and you never know who you're talking to - they may well turn out to be very helpfull to you!

Get out there and enjoy!

 

[elliott92]

few people will admit it mate, but most wild camp. if its on private land then you are trespassing and a criminal offence, but if its common land, it is a civil matter and you cannot be arrested for it as long as you are not damaging anything (i,e dropping large healthy trees). you can be asked to move on though. but i have never had this. all my camping is done without permission on common land and i have never been bothered, just get off the beaten tracks and respect the habitat, you'll be fine

 

[Jonbodthethird]

Trespass in its basic sense (non agrovated) isn't a criminal offence buddy. never has been. It's a civil matter. It's very difficult to prosecute someone who isn't legally required to give personal details lol. Same as you don't legally need a driving license to drive a vehicle (non goods or professionally). It's a misconception to keep people afraid.


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[Jonbodthethird]

On private non government land anyway.


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[elliott92]

^ now thats an interesting one, cheers mate, learn something new every day

 

[Adze]

Always remember kids... don't take legal advice from Internet fora. Just a word of caution, before you drive anywhere the general public have a right of access (e.g. a privately owned supermarket car park) do check that you're correctly licenced and insured to drive

 

[smojo]

Some interesting replies - thanks guys, keep em coming. I like the idea of arranging some kind of private permission to use the land. Will do some research.

I guess we spend most of our lives being told what we can or can't do by some sort of authority to the point where most people lose the real sense of freedom and end up feeling guilty about stuff that we shouldn't have to. After all we are all born onto the same planet and so in theory should have equal rights to the resources. When we were nomads we just took what we needed and that was that. Somehow we have a situation now where just about all land is "owned" by someone. The closest we get to wild country now is probably the national parks but we are restricted as to what we can do there too. Yeah there are good reasons to impose certain restrictions but isn't it difficult for freedom lovers like us, just to exercise our rights to practise some natural life skills like lighting a fire, making a shelter etc? If you think about it we have all sorts of "rules" just because we are human, which restrict even the most basic needs. Animals don't get prosecuted for peeing in public but we would!

I've gone a bit off track here but what I'm saying is the many rules and laws in life that we are faced with, are often petty and unnecessary and we end up feeling guilty or uncomfortable when we try to break out of it even though we are doing no harm. I'm sure everyone here loves and respects the natural habitat but most "ordinary" folk probably think we are are up to no good if they see us lighting a fire or cutting a bit of a branch off. That's what bothers me.

Another "off track" comment here which is one of my little bee-in-a-bonnet subjects demonstrates how people become brainwashed by authority and rules but can't think common sense for themselves. I often see doggy poo bags out on the moors or the woods, that have been used, then hung up on a fence or branch. Now I'm all for clearing it up - good on them, but because there isn't a handy waste bin, they think it's ok to just hang it up. Do they think there's some kind of dog-poo fairy who patrols the wild places and removes them? They somehow think they are being a good concientious dog owner by putting it in a bag but can't see how unsociable it is to hang it on a fence!

 

[Jonbodthethird]

Always remember kids... don't take legal advice from Internet fora. Just a word of caution, before you drive anywhere the general public have a right of access (e.g. a privately owned supermarket car park) do check that you're correctly licenced and insured to drive

Haha! I wouldn't recommend that you do drive without your legal documents. you need a list as long as your arm and do things in a strict manner with so many things put in place and you'll still try and get hammered by the police.


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[Jonbodthethird]

Also I'm not sure if they have changed the laws since then.


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[Jonbodthethird]

Some interesting replies - thanks guys, keep em coming. I like the idea of arranging some kind of private permission to use the land. Will do some research.

I guess we spend most of our lives being told what we can or can't do by some sort of authority to the point where most people lose the real sense of freedom and end up feeling guilty about stuff that we shouldn't have to. After all we are all born onto the same planet and so in theory should have equal rights to the resources. When we were nomads we just took what we needed and that was that. Somehow we have a situation now where just about all land is "owned" by someone. The closest we get to wild country now is probably the national parks but we are restricted as to what we can do there too. Yeah there are good reasons to impose certain restrictions but isn't it difficult for freedom lovers like us, just to exercise our rights to practise some natural life skills like lighting a fire, making a shelter etc? If you think about it we have all sorts of "rules" just because we are human, which restrict even the most basic needs. Animals don't get prosecuted for peeing in public but we would!

I've gone a bit off track here but what I'm saying is the many rules and laws in life that we are faced with, are often petty and unnecessary and we end up feeling guilty or uncomfortable when we try to break out of it even though we are doing no harm. I'm sure everyone here loves and respects the natural habitat but most "ordinary" folk probably think we are are up to no good if they see us lighting a fire or cutting a bit of a branch off. That's what bothers me.

Another "off track" comment here which is one of my little bee-in-a-bonnet subjects demonstrates how people become brainwashed by authority and rules but can't think common sense for themselves. I often see doggy poo bags out on the moors or the woods, that have been used, then hung up on a fence or branch. Now I'm all for clearing it up - good on them, but because there isn't a handy waste bin, they think it's ok to just hang it up. Do they think there's some kind of dog-poo fairy who patrols the wild places and removes them? They somehow think they are being a good concientious dog owner by putting it in a bag but can't see how unsociable it is to hang it on a fence!

That's always confused me to why you'd just go to the effort of picking it up then actually make matter worse by leaving poo now in plastic bag! than just leaving the poo in the ground?! Weird people!!


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