Hey,
This is a weird one, as I'm not sure how I feel about it.
We had a couple of chaps setup camp at the bottom of our garden, just over a wire fence - not on our property. They've been there about a week - I was thinking it would be just for the bank holiday weekend. But it's been a while now.
We have no toilet facilities nearby, the only place is in the river or our garden.
Now - I like a bit of wild camping. But wouldn't stay somewhere more than a couple of days.
I'm always nervous about approaching folk, but wanted to know if it's the wild camping for over a week is cool or not.
Cheers!
Ricks
Not cool.
*Stealth camping, not ‘wild camping’ (Although your campers seem to be failing on either definition 🤣)
Pics of the setting needed.
I thought the rule of thumb was pitch at dusk and away by dawn? There's actual laws that I can't fully remember too, where you've to be a certain distance from roads and / or civilisation.
Really though, it's the land owner's problem. If they're minding their own business and cleaning up after themselves then it seems a bit N(quite)IMBY.
Call the council if you have concerns?
Ever been homless? I have and would like to thank all the good people who just ignored me whether in a tent or a vehicle. I'd also like to thank the campsite owner who went a step further and invited me to stay on his campsite for free after seeing me wild camping.
(... assuming you're not in Scotland where it's different.)
Not cool.
(… assuming you’re not in Scotland where it’s different.)
We do have a different law, but Rule No.1 applies even more (legally and morally). We have good Access laws, not free-for-all laws that some think.
Could pop down and say hello, offer them a cup of tea, see what the score is? Be a nice person etc.
I'd say wild camping is cool for a week depending on where it is. What sort of land is it? Woods etc? Do they have good kit, or are we talking homelessness here?
I reckon they are the advance party for setting up an illegal rave. By the weekend you will have 1000 people off their head dancing to rubbish tunes blaring out of massive speakers that are powered from a collection of rusty transits.
Do they have good kit, or are we talking homelessness here?
Nope. Aldi type big tents. Didn't know how to put it up.
They're quiet.
I may be overly assuming, but "a couple of chaps" doesn't immediately suggest homeless to me?
How do you know they don't have permission to camp there from the land owner? As above, go say Hi, ask them how long they are staying, where they are heading etc?
apedoctor
Could pop down and say hello, offer them a cup of tea, see what the score is? Be a nice person etc.
This seems like the most logical thing to do.
Or OP could start blasting some really awful music (Coldplay, Lighthouse Family etc) to scare them off.
There are tents in the local woods around the train line in Cambridge, mainly homeless people.
I may be overly assuming, but “a couple of chaps” doesn’t immediately suggest homeless to me?
Why not?
I guess my question would also be, what's legally allowable if you're homeless and wild camping? It's not a great situation for anyone to be in, so totally sympathise if it is the case.
Had a similarish debate with myself recently. Wee FC carpark in Dunkeld, just above Inver. Used it a month or so ago and the only other "users" were a caravan an awning with full fire pits and obvious long term setup. I thought live and let live but was there again last week and now 6 vans taking up 3/4 of carpark and making it feel less secure. No real harm being done yet but in these days of pressure on parking I wondered if it was worth reporting. There are "No overnight parking" signs.
Edit - located about 500m from FLS offices so they are presumably aware and maybe unable to act?
Pics of the setting needed.
Yes, definitely needs a picture. End of the garden for me is pretty close. A lot further for others!
Sneak down, insert some frozen sausages and let the badges and foxes take care of them. 🤣
Just go talk to them, be nice, see what the crack is. You might make a friend or two.
I'll pop over and offer a drink to the guys and see what's what. At least I'll know what's going on then.
They're not on your property, but whose land are they on? I would speak to the landowner before doing anything else.
I'm in the not cool camping gang with this. I guess photos might help. Your garden might be what there rest of us might call an estate or park or it could be a pocket handkerchief. Distance and visibility from your house would also be a factor in the rule 1 transgression too. I think i can count on one hand the number of times I have ever left a tent up from one night to the next wild camping and those were times when I had it poked out of the way in a hard to find spot and I was off to walk a circular route or I was holed up in a white out. and I don't think I've every wild camped within 500m of a house.
All the above assuming this is holiday camping.
Oh, and are we talking cars too?
I’ll pop over and offer a drink to the guys and see what’s what. At least I’ll know what’s going on then.
Let us know what happens! Couple of pics etc! #nosey
I reckon they are the advance party for setting up an illegal rave. By the weekend you will have 1000 people off their head dancing to rubbish tunes blaring out of massive speakers that are powered from a collection of rusty transits.
Could you let me know where these chaps are camped so I can "avoid the area" if an illegal rave does happen please?
I wouldn't be happy with that, bit of an eyesore etc. I'd at least want the owner of the land to be aware as it can be quite hard to move people on if not dealt with swiftly.
Yes we don't know their circumstances but I'd say it would be respectful of them to assure neighbors that they are allowed to be there, if they are.
Let us know what happens! Couple of pics etc! #nosey
How would you like pics of your mug/stuff plastered over social media? Or are requesting private pics (off-forum) for #personalperusal?
Not cool. If you're wild camping you should be out of the way not at end of someone's garden, and not there for multiple nights unless really in the middle of nowhere*.
*Only really a few places in the UK and not usually vehicle accessible.
I’d say wild camping is cool for a week depending on where it is. What sort of land is it? Woods etc? Do they have good kit, or are we talking homelessness here?
Even in Scotland where Lightweight Wild Camping is a right (provided you comply with your responsibilities) the access code suggests that the following are not acceptable:
- camping in close proximity to dwellings without seeking the owner's permission
- camping in the same place for more than 2-3 nights
- going to the toilet (in the wild) within 30m of a watercourse, or close to buildings
Only on STW can we jump to the conclusion that someone camping for more than a few nights with low-quality kit is homeless!
It's a pretty rational conclusion if you live somewhere like Northampton or Milton Keynes. Plenty of people living in cheap pop-up type tents around town. I doubt they are there for the scenery.
It’s a pretty rational conclusion if you live somewhere like Northampton or Milton Keynes. Plenty of people living in cheap pop-up type tents around town. I doubt they are there for the scenery.
It's not that out of place in sunny Richmond upon Thames either. They often pick the green bit between the A316 & the train line but I assume the landowner (probably TFL or the council) takes a while to ask them to leave (or, more helpfully, gets them into something other than a tent).
I doubt they are there for the scenery.
It's unlikely. They're in their tents 90% of the time I'm awake.
– camping in close proximity to dwellings without seeking the owner’s permission
YEP.
– camping in the same place for more than 2-3 nights
YEP.
– going to the toilet (in the wild) within 30m of a watercourse, or close to buildings
YEP.
It was more a comment on the town centre tent dwellers around here than your new neighbours @rickon It could be a green and pleasant land wherever you are.
How would you like pics of your mug/stuff plastered over social media? Or are requesting private pics (off-forum) for #personalperusal?
Sorry, I meant just of the area to get an idea of where they are, not intimate portrait shots and in depth product shots so I can gauge the quality...
Sorry, I meant just of the area to get an idea of where they are, not intimate portrait shots and in depth product shots so I can gauge the quality…
Too late.
I do a lot of wild camping but live in Snowdonia so have a lot of places to choose from.
For me wild camping is about pitching late and gone early the next day - I never leave my tent up during the daytime and I wouldn’t pitch anywhere near someones garden, unless desperate, ie very bad weather and I’d be gone as soon as possible.
As said could be homelessness - I know that campsites are full in Snowdonia - so maybe no campsite availability for them so they have chanced it in a field?
Too late.
nice spot...can see why they chose it. hard to see where your land ends tho 😉
Go and have a chat with them. If they are respectful then live and let live, chill and don't be uptight.
Do you live near an Amazon warehouse?
Too late.
OP - is that you sat perving on the bench? What are you doing with your right hand?
you should also warn them about the dangers of inflatables in offshore winds
Too late.
Spat my tea across the desk at that, nice one OP 🙂
I also like your approach of taking them a drink for a chat - a great approach
We have a few long-term wild campers in the area. A couple have been around all through Covid. However, they are camped off the busier tracks and are certainly not visible from any other habitation.
yeah rickon's image is lovely, but same place, different viewpoints and we get a better picture of the OP's place
actually a nine year replica of (of all places!) Middlesborough. Quite cool in a "why?" sort of way.
Is that the campers by the blue door? If so, if say they're too close
