Wild Camping

Cariad9

We're going away in July for 2 weeks around the west cost of Wales then down to Cornwall / Devon then up the south coast in our trusty campervan.

Campsites are around £20 a night, with fuel on top our cheapy holiday is looking to be not quite so cheap after all! I've been looking at wild, or free, camping. All I can seem to find out is that it's legal in some national parks, although I'm struggling to find anymore information. Also, could we park up in carparks for the night (not ideal but looking at one night in a town centre).

Has anyone done this? Thanks

Pink.

As this is travel related, I've moved it to the UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments board for you.

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WestonDave

Camping in a town centre car park is probably a non starter - partly because most car parks have restrictions on overnight stays (and in a populated area its easy to get to so you won't go unnoticed) and partly because you'll probably get other people messing around outside keeping you awake (at best!).

More remote car parks are probably doable even if not strictly legal - I can think for example of a car park I know in southern Snowdonia that if someone was to park a camper overnight, you'd be pretty unlucky to be even noticed let alone disturbed (well unless you count a few hundred sheep wandering about!). Whether its actually legal under that park regs I wouldn't know as its not something I've ever had to consider.

Another one that might be worth thinking about (not free) but asking a remote pub if its OK to park overnight in their car park after you've had a meal in their pub. Some will let you I'd imagine as it costs nothing and potentially gets them another customer.

greenface

As the post above says wild camping/parking is normally "allowed" unless it says its not . Dinas Dinlle sea front always has a few campers as does the rd opposite the castle in caernarfon (the one on the opposite side of the river mouth. A few laybyes outside Barmouth Aberareon Camathern just a drive around the areas will suss out the best places . But stay safe and keep your wits about you. Pub car parks can be a good place to stay (toilets food beer) heres one im off to the motorist board as this has been on my brain for a while.

If i am lashed and decide to sleep in the back seat of my seven seater citreon picasso with my keys in my pocket i can be charged with drunk & in charge of a motor vehicle. If im in my bedford rascal camper van ?? Any one know the answer.. Lets say pub car park .

AlexMac

http://www.dartmoor.co.uk/xsdbimgs/wild_camping_map_0711.pdf

lemontart

here is a useful link for such http://www.pitchup.com/wild-camping/ wild camping which usually refers to tents is actually against the law here.
but to be fair wild camping in a camper is going to be harder as you cannot sleep overnight in most carparks, laybys etc

keigcf

Have a look at www.ukcampsites.co.uk for ideas, if you check out the cs/cl sites around they generally are a lot cheaper than larger sites and offer great good value facilities:j

ntb1

You can always try a friendly farmer.

Have wild camped on dartmoor and the Brecon Beacons I'm sure there are certain restrictions.

AlexMac

ntb1 wrote: »

You can always try a friendly farmer...

AHH- that takes me back- as a kid, I used to wild camp (well, not really wild camp- more like squatting- almost anywhere, even in the home counties and often in a tiny tent, in woody corners of National Trust land or similar- aiming to be up and away before we were spotted.

But the one time I hitched solo to the west country I tended to ask farmers, and mostly let me camp free in corners of fields; except one miserable old bedstead who charged me 2/6d (two and six- or 12.5 p) which seemed like a fortune 50 years ago- much more than the cost of five litres of petrol!

We later, and older, we got away with it in uplands like the Brecons, Snowdonia and the moors- although agin, usually pitching late and leaving early- probably not an option for lengthy stays

Heidspide

I've been researching this as we are looking to hire a motorhome for our summer hols; here are a few sites that were mentioned in the back of the Campervan Cookbook:

One night free stop overs (for £25 membership fee)
http://www.britstops.com
(eg. farms, vineyards, farm shops, breweries, Scottish smokehouse)
Motorhome owners and campervanners

Stopovers at pubs for free (for £30 membership)
http://www.motorhomestopover.co.uk

If anyone has signed up to either of these and recommends them it would be good to know.

Also try these sites:
http://www.wildcamping.co.uk
http://www.ukmotorhomes.net/uk-motorhome-stopovers.shtml
http://www.pubcampsites.com
http://www.pubcamping.co.uk