-Switch- said:Dave,
Do you have any personal experience of this at all? If so, would you mind PMing me with some details of who you spoke to and what you said? The reason I ask is that I recently tried to arrange a bushcraft meet at a local woodland owned by the MOD and was pretty much laughed at and told to p*** off. ( He did actually use those words )
If its an army training area then you have the right to use it just like they are riddled with bridal paths and public footpaths. The boundries of every range and training area should have a board on it giving you information on who to contact regards access. normally you only have to make sure that there is no live firing going on by the local TA units.
If they get awkward then you can back door it by approaching cadet units or the local TA psi's as they can help you with connections. Or find an MOD press officer as they are always desperate for good press.
I could well be that you were getting some backlash about bushcraft from the military in the same way paintballers and renactors do. They are often scornfull of those they consider walters prancing about pretending to do what they consider their primary skillsets, its similar to the survival or bushcraft arguament. Dont feel victimised though as its normally boredom speaking and they slag Bear Grylls off as much as Ray Mears, they still love Lofty and Eddie though so it might be worth asking if you can hold a survival training exercise ('bushcraft are you tough enough'!) instead as they will understand that.
Salisbury plain is huge but not very accomodating for bushcraft/survival training. there are thousands of little sites belonging to the mod attached to the sides of their properties and not all are on their websites in which case you approach the civvy estates manager with beer or a teatime biscuit box.
The same goes for forestry commision land if they know then they dont normally mind as long as its watched over, they hold their own survival/woodcraft events so would be used to it and would probably allow use of the same areas. Country parks also do fungi and plant walks so again would welcome input and participation.
Scout sites as well but be prepared to make a donation and cook on altar fires as they dont allow ground fires for (unfounded in reality) safety reasons. To book those just contact the warden to make sure the area is free, there's always a wild area you can use but they require you to pad the trees if you want to sling a hammock.
Its not a bad idea to invite the various parties along to repay the favour and get them onside. scout and cadet leaders will join in on anything as will military staff if there's beer involved
Also scout/cadet units normally have rudimental knowledge and would welcome new input to get the kids interested if you fancy trying to teach what you know.
this might help as a general guide and lets face it you cant make more mess than bored troops do.
http://www.army.mod.uk/ate/public/salisplain.htm
found this one - www.defence-estates.mod.uk/access/walks/walks/walks_reindenwood.htm - 10k -
its a dry training area which means no live ammo or impact areas, these are used by weekend organisations and if you get any grief then right to your MP as every bugger else just 'trespasses' but you get penalised for being polite
if you still have an issue then my little brother is being rtu'd soon and being a rupert should be able to help us out with protocol.
everyone will be forest/land fire jumpy though, especially if we are due another 'drought' so be prepared to make assurances that the land will be safe and take hobo stoves or a hibatchi
just though of national trust land as well, if you help one of their conservation/land management weekends they should be responsive.
If you are just training or enjoying nature without the big fire and teepee then get the wives to drop you off at one side of a training area on friday night, sling up or bivvy down and do a slow ramble accross the training area getting picked up on sunday. out of site out of mind and all that.