Want to start but need help

[ryemck]

Hi all, I've been watching some AlfieAesthetics videos and what he does looks very appealing, I want to do it too!

Here's a basic run down:

- Collecting water from river source to boil and drink.
- Foraging mushrooms, berries etc to eat (I know which are edible/non-toxic).
- No hunting or fishing.
- Harvesting wood from fallen/dead trees, won't damage any living trees.
- Inspecting plants, trees, fungi, animals and insects. Basically enjoying nature.
- Building small, controlled fires.
- Spending a lot of time drinking tea, eating foraged food and enjoying nature.

I don't have to sleep in a tent I can just visit the forest for a day, morning until evening. I have a lot of friends who would love to do it too.

The problem is, how do you find forests with owners that allow you to do this? The only decently sized forest I've found is owned by a "Lord" and is part of his estate There's no chance I will get permission for it. What do you guys do?

 

[Grebby]

Have you asked the estate?

If you don't ask you won't get permission... Worst they can say is "no".

I would leave the fire bits out until you have been a few times and built some trust. People get nervy about people they don't know starting fires on their land.

Just my opinion.

Grebby

 

[mick91]

Find a wild camping site. There are a few dotted around the country. My own little slice of heaven I spent a few years walking the land as it's open to people walking but not strictly camping, offering help to the guy I saw there regularly coppacing, clearing brush etc. Got to know him pretty well and now consider each other good friends, and often joins me fireside for a brew and a chat. He's the person that looks after the woodland. The only way to get permission from people like that is to help out and show you care about the land not just leave the place a tip and abuse it.apart from anything else I'm guessing me sitting at a fire wittling sticks with a machete don't half put the poachers off!

 

[Harvestman]

If you are not planning to stay out overnight, then look at things like nature reserves, such as your local Wildlife Trust, the National Trust (who own a LOT of land), country parks, and common land. Most of these will be free access 24 hours a day, although they usually have restrictions in place about camping and fires you are very welcome to visit and enjoy them. Apart from your fires, that covers everything on your list. Your local tourist information centre or local authority office would be good sources of information about these.

 

[BigX]

Ask the Lord, but read this first: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52652
Loads of sensible advice on there on how to approach. This is also pretty comprehensive: http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2014/how-to-find-a-place-to-practice-bushcraft-skills-in-the-uk/

An interesting point is that most of the large organisations listed above by Harvestman CLAIM that they want people like you to come onto their land to enjoy it in the way you describe - as long as you don't actually try and camp there overnight. So as you're only planning on dawn-til-dusk, in theory you should be welcome. Fires however may make a ranger of some sort come running shouting rude words.

I see you're in Liverpool, so you're close to the Lakes, one of the few places where you are allowed (with certain restrictions) to wild camp without first asking permission. Unfortunately the fells are pretty free of trees!

However you're also on the coast and the foreshore (between low and high tide marks) is mostly owned by the Crown and the NT but technically is common land (there's something in the Magna Carta about it). Again technically, but I can't see anyone objecting to a controlled driftwood fire below the high tide mark.

 

[Polecatsteve]

If your in the north visit Scotland. Galloway forest is nearly 300km sq where you can do all that you mentioned and more. Predominantly coniferous forest. Dozens of lochs.

Further north towards loch lomand has queen Elizabeth forest which again is huge, east of loch lomand. Predominately deciduous woodland.

If your looking for a local area for day to day stuff I'm not 100% sure on English law on the whole camping thing. As was previously said, ask and yee shall receive. Worst can happen is no.

 

[dewi]

Alternatively join in a meet that is within reasonable traveling distance.

I've been to two meets so far and both were very different. My lad and me had a great time at both, but one we spent most of our time in with the group, nattering, cooking etc. and the last one we spent a bit of time alone (even though we were right next to everyone, but it was just a relaxed, easy going meet that meant father/son time was easy to have without completely separating ourselves from the group). Very different meets on both occasions and obviously different people, but we were not only made to feel welcome, at both meets we met people who were great people to spend time with.

If you find the right meet and the right people, you can probably do everything you've listed and more besides. Both locations we stayed at were amazing, so much to see within a short walk and peaceful enough to enjoy nature. One condition that is pretty common on meets is no fires, but that is more to do with leaving scars or the risk of fires slow burning after the meet... if you carry something like a cheap bbq pan that is off the ground, you can have a bit of a fire in that if you ask the meet organisers... it may not be exactly the same as a traditional camp fire, but if its your only light source and you relax into it, its just as good as a traditional.

Another great thing about meets is you meet people with such a wealth of knowledge. Most recent meet I went to I learned more about fire-starting than I've learned from any book... I learned a multitude of configurations to use a parachute as a shelter and I learned that if I don't get up in the morning I miss one of the most amazing breakfasts ever made!

 

[Chaard]

You could get an OS map and look for areas of open access land. You won't be able to just start a fire but you can definately spend some time in the wilderness!

 

[ryemck]

Update - I've made some fires with a few friends, never made fires before but we've made 3 so far which were good also scouted a forest nearby where we're going to go once we're confident we can build a fire without the use of a lighter. For the estate forest I emailed them and they basically said no one is allowed to go there as the person who owns it uses it for the same thing I wanted to do lol

Also been on about visiting the Lake District, or hiking through Snowdonia in Wales as it isn't that far from us!

 

[Tengu]

Well, since you are in Liverpool you could always try the IOM

They have wild camping there but it seems to be unofficial (DOE website says so.)

Good public transport too.