Wild camping...

[Iona]

Hi all,

Myself, my son and a couple of friends are hoping to go woodland camping at the weekend and I'm after ideas of where we could go around the east/west sussex border.

I'm all about the "leave no trace" approach and not keen on "sites" or anywhere I might be forced to come into contact with others

so ideas and directions please?

Thanks in anticipation...

 

[Ogri the trog]

Iona,
Wild or stealth camping can be pretty exciting when done as a small group and causing no damage - however, please be aware that as a privately owned forum, the owner is legally responsible for its content. Hence, to advocate intentionally setting out to trespass and camp in areas without permission is something we cannot condone.
Please accept these comments in the manner in which they are intended, as we do not which to draw the attention of the authorities.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Iona]

I was in no way suggesting tresspassing, Nor did I say anything to that effect I don't think?

In fact quite the opposite. I'm looking for advice on where I CAN camp that is not a big "campsite" loaded with other people, and is in the woods. I live in the Ashdown Forest and am surrounded by lovely places, but have no intention of just going and camping somewhere I'm not allowed to! I have a young child to be a good influence on

I know not whether such places exist nor where they might be, but thought this forum was a good place to ask for advice.

Are you effectively telling me there's no-where I can legally go wild camping? Because that would be rubbish.

anyway, hopefully I've clarified...

 

[Nagual]

Hi Iona,

I didn't see anything wrong with your post, I suspect he's just being super careful. There are places you can go I am sure, most however usually require permission of the land owner in England, you could always visit the land of the semi free.. Scotland..

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable of camping down south will be able to help you out soon.

 

[Iona]

Thank you! I would love to go up, even have family who own land up there, however the length of the journey plus work commitments mean that's going to have to be some other time. just wanted somewhere close by to get my fix.

 

[Bravo4]

Hi Iona,
I'm curious what sort of public lands you have over there. If it's of any value.....maybe just for a little cultural exchange.... The place to start over here is with maps. For one area there may be several management agencies with overlapping maps showing who owns what, who can go where and when, what sort of activities are allowed, etc. It's not always a topo map that gives you the info you might be looking for . It's interesting to see what is NOT shown on one map but appears on another.

It can certainly get confusing, some areas are a 'checkerboard' of State, County, Private, Military Reservations, Indian Reservations(considered sovereign nations) ,multiple Federal agencies,,, If you want to get off the beaten path, and not get your equipment confiscated, maps are essential, at least over here. It helps to study up on some of the regulations, and then understanding say, the difference between "motorized" and "mechanized".

Can't really have too many maps. Plus, you'll probably want the map(s) for when you actually get to where going, yes? And if by chance map reading and navigation are new to you, I can't imagine a better place to get started than right here.

Best Wishes,
Clint


.

 

[Siberianfury]

im pertty sure you can legaly free camp in most placesin exmoor or dartmoor what with it being a national park and everything, thats where i always used to go with my dad and it was realy great.

 

[Iona]

hmm... interesting advice.

Firstly, not sure who "owns" the Ashdown Forest, but would love to find out. Wouldn't know where to start as far as aquiring the sort of maps you're suggesting Bravo4, but would love to find out! And no, map reading is not so new to me, I was in the scouts, don't you know and have "ex services Father" who would probably disown his daughters for a lesser crime than not being able to read a map

 

[Opal]

Iona, is this of any use to yer?

http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/camping_booklet.pdf

 

[Bravo4]

"ex services Father" who would probably disown his daughters for a lesser crime than not being able to read a map

I hear that. Glad to see you're passing it down the line. I just discovered this here forum and one of the coolest things that I see, is people doing all this fun stuff, with their kids. My great grandfather was still around when I was little. He taught me how to tie my shoes and how to fish.
I'm still a little curious, what sort of maps are available in the UK , ,, who does "own" Ashdown Forest, for example?

 

[launditch1]

We have an organisation called 'Ordanance survey' and they publish very good maps in a range of different scales..they even do waterproof ones!

 

[Iona]

Do they tell you such things as land ownership? Been a good 15 years since I looked at an OS map! If it's that easy I'm a happy lady!

 

[launditch1]

No,fraid not..Im not sure where you would go to find out landowners?...Local council offices??

as for o.s.maps i prefer the orange covered ones.

 

[DanDan The man called Dan]

A googly search bought up this which looks useful. haven't read it yet but looks like useful info on wildcamp friendly land owners http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/bushcraft-friendly-campsites

 

[Iona]

Thanks Dan, that might be useful, there's only one place nearby, and you do have to pay, but it looks nice and is cheap so might be worth a visit. Nothing to lose I guess

On a completely different note, always wanted to ask someone who lives there what Slough is like. My only reference point is this:

http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1522.html

which weirdly I studied for my GCSEs, and has remained my favourite poem ever. It kind of sums up what I feel about towns/cities in general, just interested to know if Slough's really so much worse than any of the others!

thanks for the tip though, very handy. will report back.

 

[DanDan The man called Dan]

Thanks Dan, that might be useful, there's only one place nearby, and you do have to pay, but it looks nice and is cheap so might be worth a visit. Nothing to lose I guess

On a completely different note, always wanted to ask someone who lives there what Slough is like. My only reference point is this:

http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1522.html

which weirdly I studied for my GCSEs, and has remained my favourite poem ever. It kind of sums up what I feel about towns/cities in general, just interested to know if Slough's really so much worse than any of the others!

thanks for the tip though, very handy. will report back.

I get asked a lot about slough its an odd place, I like Slough, I didn't grow up here I moved for work, met my wife and settled down. What I like is you regularly get to see the best and the worst of humans. there are people here of all cultures who truly are wonderful and inspirational despite their surroundings down to the types referred to by Mr betjemen and some downright nasty villians. In my street alone we have one convicted terrorist sentanced to life, I've had half naked gunmen in the street firing rounds in the air angry that their drugs had just been stolen to complete strangers bringing presents to our door when we have had babies or at christmas.

I wouldn't wild camp here though

Here is a blog I did a couple of years ago which says it all for me.
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=5801&highlight=slough+canal

 

[demographic]

Theres a few threads on here about Wildcamping already, might be worth looking through THEM

But, just for the record, Wildcamping is not actually illegal in certain areas so I really can't see why discussing it is Verbotan.

Lots of the lake disrict is fine, just check out where.

 

[jimford]

I get asked a lot about slough its an odd place,

You forgot to mention that Slough was where William Herschel, the first Astronomer Royal had an observatory (after which the shopping mall is named). Also, very near is the village of Stoke Poges, where Thomas Gray wrote his famous 'Elegy in a Churchyard', and where he's burried.

I believe the river going under the canal aquaduct shown in your blog is the Colne, not the Frays (I used to fish in the area). Also, if the pillbox is the one I'm thinking of, in the sixties a mate and myself tried to take it out with some homemade explosive. There should still be the evidence on the inside where a big flake of concrete was removed near a window! For public safety we did it late at night, when nobody would be around. It made a horrendous racket!

Jim

 

[DanDan The man called Dan]

You forgot to mention that Slough was where William Herschel, the first Astronomer Royal had an observatory (after which the shopping mall is named). Also, very near is the village of Stoke Poges, where Thomas Gray wrote his famous 'Elegy in a Churchyard', and where he's burried.

I believe the river going under the canal aquaduct shown in your blog is the Colne, not the Frays (I used to fish in the area). Also, if the pillbox is the one I'm thinking of, in the sixties a mate and myself tried to take it out with some homemade explosive. There should still be the evidence on the inside where a big flake of concrete was removed near a window! For public safety we did it late at night, when nobody would be around. It made a horrendous racket!

Jim

Yes William Hershel was a slough man in fact I live in the area known as hershel village. He was the man that first identified Uranas I believe. Oh how we laugh about that in the pub!!

I'll check out the pillbox for evidence of your presence next time i'm out. There are two pill bixes on that stretch.

Dan

 

[jimford]

I'll check out the pillbox for evidence of your presence next time i'm out. There are two pill bixes on that stretch.

It's the one near the Colne aquaduct. You have to go inside.

Jim