wild camping in Northants?

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Dec 21, 2008
9
0
Northampton
Does anyone have any recommendations of places to go in Northan ts.I've heard Grendon
Lakes is ok ,at least you can have an open fire.Thanks
 
Jan 30, 2009
9
0
41
Kettering
I'm in Kettering too, I'm going to spend a night in the woods near corby....so the locals can emulate wild animal dangers from more interesting locations. I let you know how that goes if ya like.... if you find anywhere worth a visit would appreciate the heads up. I'm from Bedfordshire and since moving to northants we have realised how spoiled for choice we were
 

Tourist

Settler
Jun 15, 2007
507
1
Northants
I'm near East Haddon, loads of fields but no woods.

I've chatted to Lord Althorps estate management people and they will not let people play on their land. They have lots of issues with yobs on scramblers and feel that they could add to their problems by allowing campers.

I am also in the throes of chatting to Anglian Water. They have a couple of smallish pieces of woodland around some of their reservoirs. All semi-fenced off and untrodden <cough> unless you suffer a map reading error.
 
Dec 21, 2008
9
0
Northampton
Cheers for replies peeps,I can't understand how such a rural county has got very few legit places to go.Have to go further abroad I think.
 

Tourist

Settler
Jun 15, 2007
507
1
Northants
Cheers for replies peeps,I can't understand how such a rural county has got very few legit places to go.Have to go further abroad I think.

The thing with Northants is it's proximity to London which made it popular with the Nobility of a bygone time. They 'acquired' all the land and built private estate and farms and nowadays the farming has spread out across the county. What woodland that there is exists either to be managed for timber harvesting or Salcey Forest that belongs to 'all of us' managed on our behalf by the Forestry Commision......where you even have to pay for using the car park.

There is a country park at Emberton near Olney. They have a campsite area, toilets and water. I have had people down there showing them how to put up hammocks and tarps. The site allows BBQ's but I would not think they allow open fires ...... but you never know. It gets heaving with bodies from Milton Keynes in the summer but up until then it is normally nice and quiet.
 

jddubber

Need to contact Admin...
Nov 12, 2008
38
1
Kettering
thats the trouble I have here, im out of Ketteirng by a bit but every stick of woodland for ages around lol is owned by the Duke of Buccleuch who is a notorious bottom round this area and hates folks on his land, i will be speakin to a local farmer who has a small bit of wood so will see how that goes :)
 
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CyclingSlapper

New Member
Mar 26, 2021
2
1
62
Market Harborough
Living in the vicinity of Corby and Kettering, I rent land from Boughton estates for my airsoft company, which means that I get to occasionally have bushcraft wild camps with players before games held on the following day. The estate are very hot on trespassers, and have a large staff of workers who patrol the woods, so I always get permission for such wild camps. It kind of makes up for the exorbitant fees they charge for us to use their land. One thing that I have done is camp on river banks along the Nene or Welland. I carry a fishing licence and a small set of gear, and if required, I pay for a 24 hour fishing ticket, which is about £5, depending upon the club that controls that stretch of river. In my experience, it's usually free. There are literally hundreds of miles of bank.
 
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C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
2,366
Bedfordshire
Folks,
Please do not use this forum to discuss locations that you or others can or do camp without permission. This forum is not to be used for encouraging illegal activity, irrespective of how justified folk think they are. Four posts have had to be deleted.

After the year we have just had I would expect that land owners are going to be particularly sensitive about people wandering off-path and setting up camps. The related bad press has made national news.

Thank you

Chris
 
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Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
My advice is to quietly take your time to meet and greet the landowners of your district. Explain in detail what you want to do, no more and no less. This is a big investment in time that seems unavoidable.

I'm a bird hunter all my life. When I moved to this district in 2000, I wanted permission to hunt geese and ducks on the valley bottom farm and ranch land.
Considering the crop damage that a flock of Canada geese can do, some places welcomed me. I think I met them all. North, South, East and West. That took a few years. Once I broke the ice and was accepted on one ranch, several others offered permission as well.

As archaic as it may sound, I went to every one of them every year to ask if I still had their permission to shoot birds on their land. I just figured it was common sense to be polite.
 
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