How much space for bushcraft?

[moko]

My play area is along the South Downs and pockets of woods spread along the base of the Downs, none of which I have permission to camp in. I dont make fires as it attracts to much attention - doing all my cooking on an MSR. I pitch camp late in the evening and practice low impact 'leave no trace' bushcraft.
I have never had a problem with landowners hopefully because they dont know I've been around. Not having a fire is the hardest compromise to make but at least I'm out there. To be honest, it often feels more like I'm on an escape and evasion exercise rather than bushcraft. On the other hand, the quiet appraoch brings me closer to nature and thats what makes it work for me.
One day I'll try and get around to gaining permission from a landower, unless one of you kind souls could loan me 30+ acres of woodland to play in?

 

[Spacemonkey]

In this country, I pick somewhere nice on the map, do a recce, then return for a night or two in the same manner as Moko-leave no trace, and draw no attention. Has worked fine so far! I do have 20 acres in Spain, which is half mountainside, and a valley in a J shape which has my olive groves and will have my other crops in. My house to be/ruins is on the inside of the J and surrounded by pines, as are the mountainsides. The track to get there is a half hour walk fromthe nearest road, then another half hour to the village. I have no neighbours there, bar the occasional farmer, but no one living there at all. When my 5 Year Plan is up I move there full time and build the house. Loadsa room to play and build my gun/archery range! There is plenty of pine (read- worthless) forest and mountainside for sake in Northern Spain. It is very cheap as it is of no use to the locals. The trick is to buy it from a local agent and not some dodgy Brit who has gone out to make a whopping profit knowing how much we 'think' it would be worth. I saw one valley near me which was all pines (you would own from the peaks either side of the valley) and rock. 25 hectares (65 acres??) for 30000 euros-about £20k or so. And that was a bit expensive...

During the summer, though, heat is a problem and so are the flies! Water is an issue as it's obviously not as easy to find as here! Luckily I have a spring on my land with a small 1m round pool that it collects in. This year I get a water line plumbed in which will help when i move there and make growing veggies a reality.