Testing the water...5 acre wood near Ilkley

[SimonM]

Hi all,

Yesterday I went over to see a farmer who has a 5 acre woodland that he is looking to use as a bushy type campsite.

The wood is mixed broad leaf, with a stream through it that I would drink from if boiled. It is ideal for hammocking, with a few spots for ground dwellers too.

Car parking would be off road, on hard standing approx 50m from the wood itself.

As it stands, the only facility will be a stand pipe, but he intends to put in:

• 1 composting toilet
• a couple of archery bosses
• some falling plate style air rifle targets

My questions are:

• Is there a demand for such a facility?
• Would we, hardy northern bushcrafters, like to have a monthly meet there - all year round?

I have convinced the farmer that he needs to provide fire wood, rather than allowing folk to strip the woodland of all fallen, dead standing wood. This is to preserve the bio diversity of the woods, which from my short visit, seems quite rich.

We are looking at approx £5 per person per night, but this would include 1 net bag of firewood, with more bags available for a small fee from the farmer.

If this comes off, I have suggested that he does not openly advertise, as this will bring in the "wrong sort". Rather he would keep it for the members on here and for Scouting use, on a bookable basis.

Thoughts and suggestions please!

Simon

 

[Kerne]

Not by any means a local but I'd love to see this happen and maybe become an encouragement to others to do the same. A bushy campsite network like the Backpacker's club network perhaps?

 

[spoony]

I think he would be booked soilid if he did it, as long as he didnt let gangs of chavas on

 

[Shewie]

Sounds like a grand plan Simon

Not too far from me so I'll try and make as many as possible if it happens

 

[resnikov]

Think it sounds great, as I live near Leeds its not to far for a quick overnight and also would make it easy for a long weekend camp.

 

[snozz]

Would be very interested. I live in Otley - only 5 miles away

 

[joely]

This sounds like a great idea, not to far from me so i would def give it a go!
I'm sure regular meets here would happen to!

 

[budgetbus]

I would use it.

 

[jonnie drake]

ilkley would be perfect for me, I've done a few wild camps around there before great place. Is it on ilkley moor?

 

[Trunks]

My questions are:

• Is there a demand for such a facility?
• Would we, hardy northern bushcrafters, like to have a monthly meet there - all year round?
  Simon

• 
  
  Yes and yes only 20 mins from me

 

[ex-member Raikey]

yep from me too,..

 

[FGYT]

he will need to register wit hthe council as a campsite and get permission I would guess
alos needs insurance etc

i would definatly limit it to some form of club type use only and sort out the rules before the wood getsstripped of trees to carve spoons and build debris shelters

ATB

Duncan

 

[robin wood]

Not sure about legalities but round here farmers are allowed temporary campsites without planning up to 28 days a year. £5 sounds too cheap for me if he is wanting to cover his costs rather than run a charity. £5 is about what they sell bags of firewood for at garages, what is going to pay for the putting the facilities in and keeping the bog useable? If I was doing this I would be looking at nearer £10 which would limit numbers and hopefully keep the chavs out. Campsites in Edale are over £5 a pitch and that is with your tent 3 feet from the next one.

 

[EdS]

sounds interesting.

 

[SimonM]

I feel a poll coming on...:yikes:

What is a reasonable price to charge for one nights "bushy" camping with a bag of logs thrown in for good measure?

Bearing in mind we have to balance the needs of the farmer to make some profit, and still be able to justify maintenance costs etc, with our need for cheap nights out.

Simon

 

[ex-member Raikey]

with wood?...

i,d go for a tenner , the brockwood one has a similar set up and no toilet/tap anbd its 8 quid...

have a look at the brockwood thread it has a link....

 

[bilmo-p5]

Sounds like an excellent idea, and only a coupla hills away.

£5-a-night sounds fine; so long as it's £5 per head and not £5 per pitch.

I think tank & tap is about as minimal as facilities can realistically get.Tipping the contents of a night pail/ canvas bucket/ webtex folding bowl/etc down a manhole is no great hassle Allowing users to bury-their-own will inevitably result in someone digging up someone else's sh*t, then abandoning a half-dug hole and going elsewhere, resulting in an unsightly & unhealthy mess. I've no experience of composting toilets but hear encouraging reports from US so that may well be a better route.
A tap is certainly handy although its no real guarantee; I've drawn water from spring-fed campsite supplies that would certainly have benefitted from going through a millbank bag.

 

[Loenja]

great idea, ive been trying to find other farmers in my area to do the same

 

[BarryG]

Sounds ideal.
I would definately use the place on a regular basis.

 

[resnikov]

I've no experience of composting toilets but hear encouraging reports from US so that may well be a better route.

I have used composting toilets quite a bit when in Australia, normaly very good, and sometimes you wouldn't know they werent normal toilets unless you peer down the bowl :yikes:

Only other thing is as its so like a normal toilet, when you have finished you feel something missing as there is nothing to flush. Just need a button that plays the flushing noise