View Full Version : Fires In the Woods
Can you actually practice fire making, perhaps get a brew on in the woods or is there a law preventing fires from being lit in public woodland/forests? The reason I ask is because I would like to go out for regular walks in some woods and practice that area of Bushcraft. Please help?!?!
It depends on local bylaws.... but probably not.... you may find there are designated areas where you can have BBQ style fires or camping areas where you may.
Ed
Any ideas where i can then?
I don't want to pay for a camping site pitch that allows fires when I only want to set up a fire and brew whilst passing or going there for the afternoon.
Scott. most if not all woodland areas ban fire lighting. From a ecological view point this isn't such a bad thing as fire by its very nature is destructive to the very thing we all want to enjoy. Far better to use a stove for a brew stop regardless of ability and good intention.
I remember reading somewhere on here that many Scout Sites will allow you to use there land when it's not being used by them, do you know if there are any such sites in Essex that you have used Gary? Where do you practice your bushcraft?
ha ha scotty thats my secret - and SOMETIMES i not a good boy - but it is not something I would reccommend.
There are several scout sites in ESSEX but most of these are sparsely wooded - my site in Ashdown forest is scouts but again being private land isn't advisable to just wander it.
Debden green is an excellent site - you are governed by forest bye laws but these do allow the collection of dead wood with set parameters. Best advise to you is to try different techniques while your there but ALWAYS stay within the law.
Sorry i wasn't trying to pinch your site, just trying to get an idea of where i can do bushcraft. I'm abit sick of doing everything in the garden that has only one tree (which is greenwood) and an oven 20ft away. :tw: :z: :aargh4:
Thanks for the advice!
Scott, I have no site to pinch baring where I run my courses - but I also dont want you falling foul of the law - if I had a secret location you, or anyone one else would be most welcome. After all the land belongs to us all, its a pervertion of nature that one person can own so much when in the begining we all roamed at will!
I agree Gary. The land will be there long after I am worm food. I think there should be a proper right to roam along the Swedish lines. Too many people are prevented from enjoying our wild places because somebody owns it by an accident of birth. However I wouldn't want some of the idiots we have down here wandering on my land with a match.
I have often wild camped in Sussex not strictly where I should. however I leave the land without a trace of my passing. I wouldn't bother with a fire if I am just wandering. Even a Kelly kettle can bring unwanted attention. We are all ambassadors for bushcraft and need to behave responsibly.
We are all ambassadors for bushcraft and need to behave responsibly.
Well said.... and we must all keep within the law which is part of that responsibility.
Ed
Aside from it being illegal in many places, I think we should be discouraging anyone from having open fires in woodland particularly during summer/autumn, all too easy to cause irrepairable damage and woodland is a resource we have little enough of.
Jason
Fallow Way
07-08-2004, 20:52
I must say I`m in two minds when it comes to this subject.
As a forester I agree that woodland fires are too dangerous to have, especially during the summer.
Then again...
As a bushcrafter, i`ve been doing it on the QT since I was a kid in a particular well know woodland, neever left a mark, never had a problem.
I think it comes down to `who` is doing what, not who is doing `what`. Its about responsiblility and understanding. I deeply care for nature so go out of my way to protect it, espcially from my own activites. Alas that can not be said for the other 99% of the population from my experience.
I`m drawing up a proposal to present to a certain national organisation (not the course one) in regards to piloting a registar system in their woods (on another note, English Nature are willing to pilot another of my proposals, Tradtional Woodland Access - ie management of heathlands through the same activities that created it in the first place through a register system on local SSSI`s) So I`d say there are organisations out there that do understand the value of the knowledge and skills we all cherrish, its a case of prooving to them that it can be controlled.
Kids will do whatever kids usually do, with a Bushcrafter about using the site, the obligation (in my view) is to make sure things will be put right.
masongary44
08-08-2004, 19:43
I think a national register of "Bushcrafters" would be an excellent Idea. In my mind the only thing stiffling the revival of traditional woodland skills and understanding is the lack of opportunity for responsible, trained and knowledgable people to go out there in this country and practice what they know.
As with a lot of people on this forum, I am frustrated by the lack of places tat we can go... I am considering the sneeky, slightly naughty approach. At the end of the day my goal is to leave the land in the same or better condition than i found it, so how can that be a bad thing?
As for the course, sounds like a brilliant idea... Since attending a Woodlander course (Woodsmoke) and loving every minute, Tree lore has been one of the areas i have been most intereste din developing.
G:
At the end of the day my goal is to leave the land in the same or better condition than i found it, so how can that be a bad thing?
Its not a bad thing.... but....
Remember when you have a fire, the heat on the ground destroys the detritus and other nutrients in the soil and nothing will grow there for some years leaving an ugly bauld spot on the landscape.
So if you want to leave the land in a better condition than you found it, take litter home with you, scatter some seeds and don't light fires :-)
Ed
The sad fact is we have too many people and not enough space, particularly in the UK. Chances are nobody is going to stop you from wandering into the woods and having sneaky fires wherever you like and no doubt you will do it responsibly and with minimum impact, not everyone will be responsible and over time no doubt more and more people will go out to do the same thing as part of the general outdoors/bushcraft explosion, seems like a slippery slope to me...
Wild camping is already forbidden by farmers in many of the popular spots, though we can get away with it if we exercise zero impact and stay in remote spots, lets not make the situation any worse.
It is frustrating to have so few wild spaces to go to on our little island and we have to balance what we'd like to be doing with what's responsible and sustainable. Even our remotest and wildest spots are scarred and littered, I cant think of anywhere that I can go without coming across rubbish or damage in some shape or form.
Sorry for the rant
Jason
Chances are nobody is going to stop you from wandering into the woods and having sneaky fires wherever you like
That would depend where you are. Around here where countryside fires cause millions of pounds worth of damage every year to land and livestock they take it very seriously and the law deals with arsonists very serverely.
Ed
What about renting/buying a small allottment to practice bushcraft activities on, are there set rules to what you can do on allotments??
Squidders
28-08-2004, 21:49
I personally have no idea... My first step though, would be to contact my local civic centre and ask about renting an allottment and enquire about having "a small fire to dispose of dead plant matter".
I'm not really sure that an allottment would be anywhere big enough for the job personally.
Burnt Ash
29-08-2004, 09:15
I agree Gary. The land will be there long after I am worm food. I think there should be a proper right to roam along the Swedish lines. Too many people are prevented from enjoying our wild places because somebody owns it by an accident of birth.
BCUK = British Communists UK? Yeah right!!
What's yours is yours, but what's mine is yours as well.
Burnt Ash
TheViking
29-08-2004, 09:24
I agree Gary. The land will be there long after I am worm food. I think there should be a proper right to roam along the Swedish lines. Too many people are prevented from enjoying our wild places because somebody owns it by an accident of birth.
Yes, and it happens quite often that the ones who has big property, don't even want to use it for bushcraft etc. :cry: Pitty. :?:
I live on the country which means not in the city and we have 2 ha. It has some trees and a lot of grass which is good for thatching. There's not that many trees as there is in a wood, but I can fully legally cut of big branches. Don't know about the law over there, but we must not cut boughs of trees smaller than 30'. Not in public woods.