To camp in random fields without permission in England

[feellikeahugefailure]

I'm thinking about doing a solo trip around Devon and Cornwall in a car. Campsites seem expensive, you have to book and often there aren't any where I need them

I've got a pop up tent.

Would it really be so bad to just pitch it at 9pm in some quiet field out of sight (and without animals) spend the night, then come 6am pack it up and move on?

Obviously I wouldn't litter or leave any sign that I was ever there.

how would public ownership of land work? Who would decide what to do with the land - what if everyone wanted to camp or build there own house or drive 4x4 wherever they wanted

I don;t know but, public ownership doesn't mean anybody can do anything they want.

Even if you buy a woods these days you often have to sign something to say it won't be used as a race track or anything disruptive.

Yes stupid and dangerous. But it's your life so give it a shot.

Seriously.

Even the Famous Five knew to ask the bleeding farmer.

I would be absolutely fuming if someone took it upon themselves to shit in a hole on my land. Ask permission.

Hey OP have you looked at the microadventure movement?

Don't take your tent.

Take a bivvy bag, this way you leave hardly any sign you were there.

Bed down after dark and get up with the sun. Not very restful but quite exciting.

Don't poo in the field, obviously. Hold in poo until you are at a toilet.

Not sure what you are planning on doing for showers? Beech, pay to go into a lesuire centre?

Basically I think this is a shit idea for a whole holiday but is quite fun for 1 night.

I think genuine wild camping is great, but that's not what you're talking about doing.

*I think you can camp like this in a lot of countries. England seems more restrictive.

I do think its silly not to be allowed to wild camp everywhere, where I live its enshrined in law the right to go, camp, and forage everywhere.*

It does look like people in england like it as is.

Where do you live out of interest?

Why not wild camp on Dartmoor info and pay for a few nights elsewhere in Devon?

What a stupid arguement, "who decided land should be carved up..." Probably the bit where your house is was carved up once! People buy land. It's not cheap. I'd be livid if someone just camped on my land without permission. It's rude and you don't know what damage you're doing. You have no idea what people spend maintaining and planting fields. For what it's worth, we've given permission many times to the Boys Brigade to camp wild on our land. The difference is they ask.

I am in south east.

Just realised my post makes no sense as the thread title specifically says "without permission."

However, I do rather wonder why you wouldn't ask permission, OP.

I tried this as a teen. The result was being chased off by an irate farmer at 4am in the morning. Ive never got a tent down so fast!

I've had other more successful trips but that taught me to seek permission first.

Lots of people do wild camping up here in Scotland since Right to Roam came in.

And lots of people are idiots about it too e.g.

lussestates.co.uk/news/litter-problem-worsens-wild-campers-flock-loch-lomond

And
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/glen-etive-is-it-being-spoiled-by-partygoers/0011326/

It's the irresponsible minority who spoil it for everyone else.

You need to get landowner permission. There are some farmers who are happy for this to happen on their land. I run DofE expeditions and we know some farms who will let us camp in fields but we do them the courtesy of letting them know in advance. Some have basic outdoor toilets on the farm we can use.

There are possibilities on Exmoor / Bodmin too but this advice explicitly states that you should not camp on farmland: Wild camping guide

I live in Finland OP I make good use of the right for picking berries and fishing, though I don't do wild camping because I like toilets.

A young German guy once asked my Granny if he could camp in one of her fields for a couple of nights. She said no. She made him stay in the house instead as the weather was so awful! Poor bloke, probably wanted the peace and quite of his tent.

Wow thanks for the Dartmoor and wild camping guide links. That's answered everything really, super useful. :)

What would you actually get out of pitching a tent in some random farmers field? May as well sleep outdoors in your own garden...

Worra I don't think she/he is planning on taking a car ;-)

It's usually people who are travelling around the country. They just stop off overnight.

There are quite a few 'wild campers' in Cornwall. I think they do it because they have nowhere else to live (a.k.a 'homeless'). You get caught, you get told to move on. Don't get caught, get a good night's kip. It's kind of how it works.....

I'm confused. The OP mentions doing a trip by car and camping at night. So surely she needs to park the car.