hi im new to this and want to start wild camping i live in cheltenham and was wundering if any of you would share the best places i can go in the cotswolds or my surrounding area? thanks
wild camping in the cotswolds
- Thread starter jrcash1234
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I'm from 'nam originally too! I used to wild camp up on Cleeve Hill Common - there are caves up there but we never plucked up the courage to stay in them!
ok thanks ive actually not lived here long hense not knowing the area well but i will check cleeve hill out thanks.
There was a wood to the South with a spring in it - lovely fresh drinking water. It's probably a Barratt Homes estate now... 
I'll try to look on a map to see where it was...
Failing that, Leckhampton Hill has lots of woodland. Of course, this is all armchair camping, to actually do it without permission would be an offence
I'll try to look on a map to see where it was...Failing that, Leckhampton Hill has lots of woodland. Of course, this is all armchair camping, to actually do it without permission would be an offence
Yes, I'm very law-abiding too, but when walking the Cotswold Way a couple of years back it was odd that I found myself benighted in bad weather every night and had to wild camp. I can't say it was easy to find a spot, but it is possible. One night it was p..ing down and I pitched after dark at the end of a lane only to find in the morning that it was where all the locals came for early morning dog walks. I packed up and walked on and found that if I had walked about 400 metres further I would have found the perfect spot, which sounds rather like the one Spandit mentioned. Personally, I keep a low profile, pitch after dark and strike at dawn and have never had any trouble.
Good advice, Spandit. I never leave anything, even footprints if I can manage it and take nothing, not even photos! Seriously though, minimum impact camping is my religion and it sometimes leaves me uneasy about some aspects of bushcraft. On one hand I'm glad to see growing interest in the natural world, but the sheer numbers of people doing it has had an adverse effect on the attitudes of the authorities. It heartens me to know that jrcash1234 is seeking advice I wish there were more like him/her. Its those who through ignorance do damage and turn people against wild campers that we need to worry about. This forum is a great place to share knowledge and learn and it it evident that many members do a lot of good, either formally through organisations like scouts and cadets or informally with family and friends, to pass on the knowledge. I'm proud to be a member of BushcraftUK!
Thank you I have always over reaserched somthing before attempting it but to me it is the best way, there is an abundance of knowlage here and I would be a fool to pass it up... Cant wait to put my new knowlage into practice.
I walked the Cotswold Way last week (17/3/12 - 21/3/12) with four nights out. The first was in a pub garden so sanctioned, second and third were wild camps, fourth was on a campsite (I may be getting soft but the pull of a shower was irresistible). In all cases I was sleeping in a bivvy bag and on every morning I adopted the same routine: rise about 5:45 and get going by 6:00, stopping for breakfast later once the temperature had risen. I was only seen once, after the third night, when I overslept and woke at 6:00 and was passed by a mountain biker as I was getting packed up. I have used the "Arrive late, leave early, leave no trace" mantra for several years and never had any bother. The early start may seem hard but in March it's dark by 19:30 so giving ten and a half hours to sleep; plenty of rest.
I saw your note on camping on the Cotswolds Way, I plan to do this similarly walking over 4 days camping in between, can you remember the names of the sites you stayed at? Can't see a lot online!
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