Need Help!!

[MrD]

Me and a few of the boys are trying to arrange a camping trip but as its a first we're not realy sure where to go.
i have been looking at the lake district and it looks great but we're planning to go in august and by the sound of things the lake district is a bit like majorca in the summer. and apparently wild camping illegal :confused: what the hell is that all about?!
anyway all this has kind of put me off going there now but if not there then where? or am i just reading the wrong articles on the lake district?

what we want to do is go camping for a few days (wild) be near a mountain, lake (preff with edible fish) some stuff to explore during the day, close to a stream or something as a drinkable water supply and burning a fire would be an added bonus. sounds messy but we promise to leave the camp site as we found it! we want to go somewhere where when we are taking in a great view there will not be loads of people in the picture! we are all 26 years old and all we want to do is get away from the rat race for a few days and have a little adventure, can somebody help us please!

[clunk]

you can go to the lakes and wild camp , it is ilegal but nobodys gonna say anything providing your high up and out of the way , theres plenty of tarns and becks for water , not sure about the fishing though , oh and welcome to g.x. :)

[MrD]

thanks clunk. what part of the lakes do you think is best suited for us? dont you think it will be too busy in august?

[MariaD]

It will be pretty busy, and you will have to take down your tent each day, but you should be fine as long as you stay high up.

If you're looking for adventure, don't take recommendations for wild camp spots from other people, as you will arrive to find 10 other tents there! Look at the map yourself and try to judge which spots might be quieter - as a general rule, the more remote the better.

However, I would say that fires are a BIG no no in an area like this. Wild camping in the Lakes is only okay high up, and I wouldn't recommend that anyone try to start a open fire on the high fells as you will be certain to cause damage. Upland vegetation isn't like the stuff you find in your local woods - it's sensitive, takes a very long time to grow back, if at all, and some of the plants in the Lakes are extremely rare.

If you build an open fire, you may find that your wild camping isn't tolerated in the same way that it would be if you didn't.

[MrD]

thats good info, thanks MsD!
is there no other place at all that we can camp freely though? what about scotland?
what would actualy happen if we got cought wild camping in lakes?

[Ant]

thats good info, thanks MsD!
is there no other place at all that we can camp freely though? what about scotland?
what would actualy happen if we got cought wild camping in lakes?

As has been said its high up then it shouldn't make any difference. Just don't camp in a field of livestock, or a field of crops.

Incedently i've seen people wildcamping in plain view just off a beach and in a woodland in the middle of the day just off a recreational trail.

[MariaD]

In Scotland you can wild camp freely, but the same common-sense rules about protecting the environment & fires apply - don't build fires in sensitive upland areas, and don't even think about having one on peaty ground (peat is highly flammable). A fire on the stony bank of a loch or river would generally be okay, provided you tidied up afterwards.

[WildCamper]

Hi MrD

I understand where you're coming from, I too am going on my first wild camping trip this month and I know it makes a difference to feel comfortably within the law, it's just one less thing to worry about.

Even though wild camping is tolerated if not strictly legal in many places in England, if you're looking for somewhere where it is totally legal and encouraged then Dartmoor is your only option (unless you have permission to camp on someone's land), this is where I'm going this month. As long as you follow the rules, which can be found on the Dartmoor National Park Authority's website, you will be allowed to camp as wildly as your heart desires.

But Dartmoor is Dartmoor and may well lack all the other requirements you have, but for someone concerned about staying firmly within the law it may be worth considering.

Wherever you go, have a great time!

[sossukuk]

Hi,

I'm a newbie to wild camping as well and generally have all the same questions as MrD. But what about woodland / forest camping - are there any more restrictions on woodland camping, and , where to go in England ?

[MariaD]

Woodland areas in England tend to have similar restrictions to hills, although they are more likely to be near a road & therefore unsuitable for wild camping.

Whereabouts are you based? There may be somewhere good near you.

[sossukuk]

I'm based in west London. Someone suggested the New Forest to me, but I think they are pretty hot on stopping camping ,except in certain areas.

[Marmot]

The new forest is very tightly restricted for camping now, you can only camp in designated areas as you thought. Tbh, not really that turned on by the new forest as somewhere to go anyway.