Hello,
Okay, we sort of did this thread a couple of weeks ago, so I suspect you'll get fewer answers than the question really deserves.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=5403&highlight=living
Can I suggest that you do as well as you possibly can with your exams, apply for several university/college courses and then figure out an itinery that will expose you to as many different types of work as possible (might help the old finances too
). If your parents agree to a year out, make the most of it!
Off the top of my head, why not find out about:--
SNH, National Trust and English Heritage have volunteer work events on specific sites, ranging from historic ruins to country sites.
RSPB run volunteer/subsistence work parties, heather burning in Sutherland/scat tracking of pine martins in areas where they are altering habitats, etc.,etc.,
Grampus do traditional handcraft/skills exchange courses with other European countries; they pay all your expenses but don't give you any cash, and ask that you write up your work with them and maybe talk with other interested people.
The Crannog Centre on Loch Tayside accepts volunteers to do some research/repair/public demonstrations work. You wouldn't get paid for this but they do provide accomodation for successful applicants. The focus is on archaeology/history students but since you're not settled on a course yet, I'm sure they would take that into account. I don't know about Butser, Flag Fen, etc., but they've got to be worth a try.
There's a Europe wide organic farming exchange network who help interested young people work abroad. I met a Frenchman a fortnight ago who is now working in Scotland but had just spent two months in Spain and three months in S. America before that, through this organisation. He's going to New Zealand in August. He's done everything from flower picking to herding llamas. He was putting up marquees at a Green Futures fair at a New Age Lifecentre last I saw him with 50 acres of mixed woodland to play in
Some of the larger re-enactors groups have their own land and are delighted to teach traditional handcrafts as well as living skills in exchange for maintainance and labour.
Most of the forest groups organise work weeks and weekends, usually with basic accomodation and food provided.
There are dozens of sites like this throughout the country (and the world)
It'd be an interesting and effective way to spend a year between finishing school and going into further education, and all of the skills you'd acquire would be useful regardless of whether bushcraft remains a hobby or becomes a full time involvment.
The other thing that would be very worthwhile would be to complete some first aid training and get some water sport proficiency certificates if you haven't already done so. All, and any, of the above would look good on your cv, and might help you find a career you really want.
best of luck with it all,
Cheers,
Toddy