No campfires bbqs allowed

[Sweetpea1989]

Might be a stupid question, the national trust site we're headed too says no traditional campfires but BBQs raised off the ground are fine. Would I get away with bbq'ing on a raised fire pit and chucking some logs on after?

No of course you cant do that.

No fires = no fires

BBQ permitted (off ground) so you can have the coals for that, but not burning logs afterwards

It'll be easier to take a suitable raised BBQ than muck around with raising a firepit. Likely to be safer and more stable too

Yes. Just make sure if it's a pit that embers can fall through that you put some big stones or rocks underneath so they don't burn the grass.

If it's Stonethwaite, they do check.

No, definitely not. It's not about 'what you can get away with'... Think about what the challenges are in ensuring heavily visited places stay lovely for everyone to enjoy.

I work for the National Trust in a national park 🙂

Scarring from fires, trees torn down to make fires, campfires out of control, foil and beer cans left behind, human waste... These are all things we deal with most days in the summer. You might be responsible, but some less responsible people might see your fire and think oh that's fun let's do that too and let's pull on this branch until it snaps off and then leave it lying here half-charred when it won't burn.

If you leave behind the remains of a fire it's a signal to other people that it's ok to make a fire.

A BBQ off the ground - that's the NT property's way of trying not to be a killjoy while also ensuring no damage is done to the landscape.

I think the whole point is it should not leave a mark once you are gone. That's why a raised BBQ that you then take with you is fine.

Call them and check.

On the NT sites I have been to, virtually everyone has had little fire pits or logs in a raised BBQ. They sell log in their campsite shops.
My understanding is that they mean you can't build a campfire straight on the ground.

It’s not always about the grass underneath, it is often to do with the danger of flying sparks (not really an issue with charcoal) and very dry trees or other vegetation. Forest fires etc.

To be fair, I’ve stayed at loads of NT sites (though not in the last year or so) and they’ve always said no campfires but they sell logs in the shop and have fire pits for hire. It’s not the case at all sites but the NT ones in The Lakes that we used did really just mean no ground fires. They’re pretty responsive to email if you want to ask.

No.

we did this, but not a fire pit.

We had a 'bucket' BBQ and we used wood and added more after we finished cooking.
But kept it pretty ember ish, minmum flames, just enough for warmth (yes, it was freezing in August) and toasting marshmallows.

Given that you have a mix of a NT person saying no, and lots of people saying - they sell wood in the shop and fire pit for hire, it is obviously going to vary place to place.
So ask them