Wild Camping in Kent

[Batduck]

Hey all,
One of my friends recently had the brilliant idea of wanting to get a few friends together and go camping, as wild as we could as we liked the idea of being surrounded by nature and enjoying it as we spent time together. We did think that going to a campsite and being surrounded by campers would lose some of the maigc of nature. I've been looking through this website (which is brilliant and really heplful) i have realised that it can be very difficult especially in England, but could anyone suggest any brilliant places a group of would be able to go and enjoy great views or surroundings in kent? I do know that i could ask a landlord/farmer but i dont think that anyone would appreciate a group of 16-19 year olds no matter how careful we are. We are all responsible and fully intend to take care of the environment around us for others or ourselves to enjoy again.

thanks

 

[drewdunnrespect]

Bat duck
What u need to do is get contact with a scout group and ask them is there any scout
Camp sites that allow none scout groups to use the site
Now another alternative is using Google and putting scout camp sites Kent in and then
Contacting them directly and asking them do they allow none scout groups on and if so
Booking a weekend

 

[andyc54]

great idea drew

my uncle who lives in northern ireland has done just that for 30 people and they allow open fires and the only ones there

got to be worth a try

 

[robin wood]

The sort of wild camping you are suggesting ie just doing it on someone else's land without permission is a pretty hot potato and certainly not something anyone is going to discus openly on a public forum. All land belongs to someone, would your folks be happy if a bunch of folk turned up and camped in their garden?
Having said that I personally have been known to wild camp places where I know I will see no one and no one will see me. I only do it alone or with an odd friend, normally wild places with a couple of hours walk in, arrive near dusk and leave before early walkers are out. A bunch of 16-19yr old mates is different, what would suit you best is surely somewhere you can sit round a campfire and chew the fat and the scout camp or other campsite which allows fires would I think be best bet.
Anyone that does know a nice wild place where they camp with or without permission is unlikely to share that knowledge and risk loosing it.

 

[monkey spanner]

Anyone that does know a nice wild place where they camp with or without permission is unlikely to share that knowledge and risk loosing it.

To true.

what you will have to do is find a wood/wild spot Etc.(google map's, also at "streetmap.co.uk" you can print out quite a good O.S. map)
Scout the area, eg..walk all the foot path's, see how many people use the area, cut between the foot paths to see what's in the middle, spend many hour's doing this, over a few day's.
Once you get the feel of the area, have an over nighter either on your own or with one quite friend,see what happens.
If you get asked to leave, do so quietly with no fuss, maybe try to explain about bushcraft (what ever that means!) & the "leave no trace" ethos.
This is not a quick fix but as with all good thing's ,the more effort you put in, the greater the reward.

Good luck
Monkey Spanner

 

[Mesquite]

To true.

what you will have to do is find a wood/wild spot Etc.(google map's, also at "streetmap.co.uk" you can print out quite a good O.S. map)
Scout the area, eg..walk all the foot path's, see how many people use the area, cut between the foot paths to see what's in the middle, spend many hour's doing this, over a few day's.
Once you get the feel of the area, have an over nighter either on your own or with one quite friend,see what happens.
If you get asked to leave, do so quietly with no fuss, maybe try to explain about bushcraft (what ever that means!) & the "leave no trace" ethos.
This is not a quick fix but as with all good thing's ,the more effort you put in, the greater the reward.

Good luck
Monkey Spanner

Wtih all due respect to how you're trying to help out the OP actually encouraging and explaining how to wild camp isn't something this forum supports.

 

[Ahjno]

As Mesquite says: BCUK does not condone illegal activities. Keep on the right side of the law. And if you decide to break it, your choice and you're responsible for any consequences, but don't post it on here.

EDIT:
We have a sticky, that guides you through the process on gaining permission:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52767

 

[monkey spanner]

Wtih all due respect to how you're trying to help out the OP actually encouraging and explaining how to wild camp isn't something this forum supports.

Ooops !

Sorry guy's

 

[pauljm116]

I go to forgewood camping in Tunbridge wells, theres loads of woods to camp in so you wont be surrounded by campers and lots of nice countryside to walk through. Its pretty close to wild camping but legal and with toilet/shower blocks not too far away, owners are very friendly and helpful. Only downsides are both to do with cost its £12.50 a night and you have to buy firewood at £5 a bag (a bag usually lasts 2 nights though).
Ive got no connection with the site, just been there a few times and loved it. Its especially quiet during the week, havent tried weekends but would imagine it gets busy.

http://forgewoodcamping.co.uk/
Theyve just got a new trial site in basingstoke, according to the owners it will be open for around 4-5 weeks as a trial and if it works they will take it over, but it is going to be very basic and wild, sounds perfect to me!

 

[pauljm116]

Not sure where you are in kent, but there are quite a few camp sites that will allow fires, I found a few on here http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/. Just dont know how wild they'll be, but at least you wont be breaking any laws. I contacted the buckmore park scouts campsite in rochester as Im local to it and they wouldnt let me use the site because of insurance in case of any accidents etc, not sure if all sites are the same though. Would be very interested if you find anywhere though.

 

[billybob0987]

i work in lamberhurst kent, in buildings on a farm, theres alot of wood lands on and around the farm site, which i can imagine people think would be good for wild camping, but i can guarantee its not, me and some friends asked if we could camp in the woods over a weekend, and they said no, but that we could camp in one of the fields nearer the workshop, i asked why they wouldnt let us camp in the woods and they said that we might get shot, it seems that cause its quite a secluded spot, and the only houses for a few miles belong to the farmers, they do alot of night shotting, i wasnt sure whether they were telling the truth or not at first, but while we sat around our fire in the early hours of the morning we did hear a few shots now, so definately worth asking first