[Closed] wild camping question in the hills - what height is 'legal'?

'Above the highest fell wall' is what they say for the Lakes

http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/index/visiting/planningyourvisit/accommodation/wildcamping.htm

scotland?
England?
dartmoor?

England - never legal without the landowners permission. Often tolerated on open land above the cultivated land. Scotland - widely legal so long as you obey the access code

Technically in England and Wales you're supposed to ask the landowner for permission first. Back in the real world, in most mountain areas it's pretty much accepted as long as you're discrete and sensitive about where you camp, leave no trace etc. There's no rule about altitude and open access doesn't give you a right to camp either. It's different in Scotland predictably, where you have a right to camp on access land subject to certain responsibilties.

Generally I try to camp out of sight of people/civilisation, leave no trace, not set fire to the moors etc. Most of it's common sense. If you pitch a bright orange tent 400 yards from a farm house and light a fire then you'll probably attract attention. If you bivvy up on the fells and move on before anyone's about, chances are that no-one will even know you were there.

I went through a phase of "wild" camping when I got irritated by overpopulated campsites (I'm an anti social sod).

No rights, it's trespass. Above the intake wall is tolerated well but it can be hard to find flat ground that isn't too exposed to high winds - scour maps. I've camped in much cheekier locations lower down which is fine if well screened, you arrive late-ish and leave early with no trace. A green tent helps too. Think about where you will take clean-ish water (not too much sheep poo and insects in it) and how you will make it potable.

Toilet manners: bury any poo under turf in a few inches of topsoil, a good distance from running water. Use toilet paper sparingly and burn it carefully. Antiseptic gel is useful for hygene.

Have fun!

i once toured europe for a couple of months on the motorbike camped the whole time only paid for two nights, once in wales on the way out, the other in dover on the way home. stayed best part of a week in a big site in Chamonix went to pay when arrived couldnt find any one.. didn t pay a centime.
rough camping in the uks harder as its smaller and always some busy body ready to give you thier tenpennorth worth so stay discreet off the beaten track no yellow 8 man family tents NO fires no more than one night and you should avoid your collar been felt

rough camping in ENGLAND is harder. Legal in Scotland

It's different in Scotland

I'd take the same attitude I do to cheeky riding (and paddling) - if it's legal in Scotlandshire it ought to be legal in England, which does of course also mean you should be complying with the code of practice. More pragmatically the trick is simply not to be spotted - I've never been a big fan of camping just on the open fell to avoid paying campsite fees, but up at Styhead Tarn for instance is widely seen as acceptable (though a sheep did try to steal my shoes when I was last there!)

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a couple of years ago but good fun

totalshell - Member
<snip> stayed best part of a week in a big site in Chamonix went to pay when arrived couldnt find any one.. didn t pay a centime.

With respect, that's not wild camping, that's just dodging paying (AKA [i]theft[/i]).

The rules are, there are no general rules in the UK. In some Countries, you can camp anywhere so long as it's not within n metres of a dwelling. That does not apply in the UK.

Stay high, arrive late, leave early, be discrete (no red tents), leave nothing, light no fires <sigh> and you should be fine. However, some areas are really busy e.g. bits of the Peak, Dales etc) and you could still be turfed off by an NP Ranger.

I've camped in the Lakes (Langstrathdale comes to mind) where the walkers are as miserable and conservative old gits as you'll find - loads of them passed us as we were teenagers at the time and didn't get up until 9am, but we didn't hear any negative comments. And we were even on bikes too!

Boblo - In England - the rules are very differnt in Scotland

The rules are, there are no general rules in the [s]UK[/s]England. In some Countries, you can camp anywhere so long as it's not within n metres of a dwelling. That does not apply in the [s]UK[/s]England.

a couple of years ago but good fun

Dog should be on a lead!

I used to camp in a gorgeous little spot by a stream within what is effectively a "roadside" verge. Actually it's a Roman road which is a byeway open to all traffic, but generally devoid of anything. The spot was within a deliberate diversion of the wall along the track, so as to enclose the stream in a hollow, and presumably provide shelter and water to packhorses in days gone by.

England.

So does this make it any more "legal"

rough camping in ENGLAND is harder. Legal in Scotland

No, it's very easy in England (and Wales).

Without wanting to get too bogged down... I understand the access rights granted North of the Border (was it 2003?) but how does that extend to the right to camp wherever someone wants to?

I always use the same approach England/Wales or Scotland. Bearing in mind, even with 'rights' in Scotland they can still 'ask' you not to go on land if they are stalking etc.

as above, depends where you are planning on going. Blurb on Dartmoor National Park website would suggest they are fairly cool about it.

Boblo - IMO and in that of others it was actually extended too far in Scotland leading to issues in places.

Ta. I had a quick scoot and came up with:

Access rights.
This section has no associated Explanatory Notes
(1)Everyone has the statutory rights established by this Part of this Act..
(2)Those rights (in this Part of this Act called “access rights”) are—.
(a)the right to be, for any of the purposes set out in subsection (3) below, on land; and.
(b)the right to cross land..
(3)The right set out in subsection (2)(a) above may be exercised only—.
(a)for recreational purposes;.
(b)for the purposes of carrying on a relevant educational activity; or.
(c)for the purposes of carrying on, commercially or for profit, an activity which the person exercising the right could carry on otherwise than commercially or for profit..
[/i]

Essentially any access so long as it's recreational. Must be that wild camping comes under that provision.