Doing it in the UK....!?

Hi there,

Myself and my friend are starting to accumulate some exped equipment with a view to completing a European trip next year (to get us started). We've both wild camped for many years, but only as hillwalkers up to now, and have just started to change our equipment for heavier overland stuff.

This may seem like a silly question, but are there any areas of the UK where we can (without causing too much trouble) try our tents/equipment etc. and living out of the back of the Landy? We never really thought about it until we tried to do it! Maybe I'm being too optimistic but it would be great to be able to access by vehicle a wooded area, possibly with running water, etc.??

Does such a place exist?! We'd really like to be able to get out and try out the new tents, etc. without having to rely on usual camping sites.

Any advice would be VERY much appreciated!

Thanks
James

Hi James,

Over the Brecons in south wales or up by Snowdonia would be good options. (Still NERC free at the moment) Or head up to the Lake District. Sorting through some old LRO mags I found an article about Wild Survival in the Lakes. (JULY issue 8 2003) They don't tell you where they went but I've hiked and camped up there myself and as long as you don't draw attention to yourselves you should be fine. (Hopefully going to get up there myself either this year or next.)

These websites may be of some use to you:

www.woodsmoke.uk.com
http://www.lake-district.gov.uk/index/enjoying/outdoors/green_roads.htm

Good luck. Let me know how you get on!

if you go into the national forest many of the offbeat tracks can be navigated and then you can camp up wherever you like but remember not to leave a pile of **** where you were, the kielder is good as is clocaenog in north wales

Many thanks to you both! Those websites are very interesting, and I'm going to filter through some of those Lakes Routes.

Yella, we actually went to Kielder forest this weekend with plans of finding a site up out of harm's way to camp up. We didn't have much luck though. As wel as being concerned about fire, we found that although the forest tracks were absolutely great for exploring (we got a vehicle permit from the Forestry Commision - Had to do a Risk Assesment!) ... when it came to camping, there were just no suitable open spaces! The forest trees are obviously only a few feet apart, there's the firebreak sections but they're soggy and inaccessible, and apart from that you've just got the roads.

It was really ironic to be surrounded by millions of trees but not really have anywhere wholly suitable to hang your hennessy hammock!

But thanks for the other suggestions of places , I'm going to get the maps out and try to find accessible lanes in those areas with (what look to be on the map) potentially wooded areas! We're both responsible campers and would leave no trace, but need to find somewhere where we can't cause any trouble.

Thanks so far!

James

James,

Try the N of Scotland always quite and far enough from anywhere to ensure that if you do have a problem you will have to sort it out on your own; just as you will on a real overland trip.

Ashoofack said:

James,

Try the N of Scotland always quite and far enough from anywhere to ensure that if you do have a problem you will have to sort it out on your own; just as you will on a real overland trip.

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Scotland had always been on the list due to being the nearest things we'll get to wilderness in the UK! Did you have any particular regions or areas to recommend?

Yella Disco said:

clocaenog in north wales

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...Been looking at this on the map, very promising!

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=300500&y=353500&z=4&sv=300500,353500&st=4&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&ax=300500&ay=353500

there are some good tracks in clocaenog with good size clearings, we go there quite often with the kids on their quads, as long as you keep away from the picnic areas and don't be too rowdy you will be fine, just tell anyone that questions you that yella sent you

I'm not sure how good it is for greenlaning but Torridon is about as isolated as you'll get anywhere and the mountains are spectacular. The good lady and I did a tour around Scotland in a standard car a few years ago and the isolation and lack of trafic was tremendous. Given that there is still a large farming community and large areas with no tarmacadam the potential could be huge.

The Missus and I have just got back from a half day out on the North York Moors, we went to get away from frigging football.

Any old how it seems that all the quiet isolated spots that we've discovered over the years have been discovered by poggy chav low life scum who've pitched their tents lit there fires, despite the fire risk warnings on fences and gates, turned on there humpy thumpy ****e music and chucked bags of rubbish every where.

How long before the wilds of Scotland ,Lake District wherever is ****ed up by simmilar scum bags.

Ignore me I'm feeling a bit peeved at having my day spoilt.

GRUNT said:

The Missus and I have just got back from a half day out on the North York Moors, we went to get away from frigging football.

Any old how it seems that all the quiet isolated spots that we've discovered over the years have been discovered by poggy chav low life scum who've pitched their tents lit there fires, despite the fire risk warnings on fences and gates, turned on there humpy thumpy ****e music and chucked bags of rubbish every where.

How long before the wilds of Scotland ,Lake District wherever is ****ed up by simmilar scum bags.

Ignore me I'm feeling a bit peeved at having my day spoilt.

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Dont blame yer there Grunt! A well justified Rant, Ever since they started the ****in Heartbeat **** on the telly its gettin worse round here.
There are still some nice out the way spots round here though, That the fat towny scuzzballs aint found,
Scotland going the same way unfortunatley. We used to go to a spot called Glen Etive, you could spend a week there and see nobody, the last time we went a trany van wi three lads pulled up and pitched there tent, fair enough i though, till three more cars turned up an hour later full of nutcases, the Trany van was full of beer and logs for the fire,****e all over the place when they went.Aint bin back since
Nice quiet night!

GRUNT said:

The Missus and I have just got back from a half day out on the North York Moors, we went to get away from frigging football.

Any old how it seems that all the quiet isolated spots that we've discovered over the years have been discovered by poggy chav low life scum who've pitched their tents lit there fires, despite the fire risk warnings on fences and gates, turned on there humpy thumpy ****e music and chucked bags of rubbish every where.

How long before the wilds of Scotland ,Lake District wherever is ****ed up by simmilar scum bags.

Ignore me I'm feeling a bit peeved at having my day spoilt.

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...Can't blame you for that, either - It would have annoyed/upset me the same way.

Hopefully there's still room somewhere for responsible wild camping, where "no trace" is left, but it is people like this who spoil it for everyone (as always)

I know I'm sounding like a self righteous grumpy old man, and I've been a bit of a hooligan myself in the olden days, and I definitely am not saying arrest everybody that does it . But is it legal to camp on anything other than on designated camp sites. If so you'd have thought the forestry commission would have done something about the known sites that become eyesores and fire risks.

Hi, I was going to suggest the wilds of Scotland but been beaten to it..

All along the north coast affords LOADS of places you can delve into and off down the west coast as well ( as well as being incredibly beautiful) . I did a wee trip around Dec last year and was amazed how many places I could get to in lannie goodness.

The joy of going in the summer is it's light all the time too!

If you go in August it'll be a great opportunity to test out your midge screen as well ( at least we don't suffer them in Orkney, that would be because it's always blowing a force 9 gale)

... But is it legal to camp on anything other than on designated camp sites....

It is illegal to 'wild camp' in England and Wales. Wherever you camp you need landowners permission (under UK law every blade of grass/ square foot of land is owned by someone).

In Scotland you can wild camp without owners permission in certain areas.

Full details can be found on the government's Countryside Rights of Way Act websites.


ly

i think hes back now