What Are the Rules on Wild Camping?

Q.

A friend and I are preparing for a charity walk from Cardiff in South Wales to the summit of Mount Snowdon in North Wales. We will be wild camping all the way (setting up camp in different areas each night about 15-20 miles apart).

We'd like to know the law/rules about wild camping as we do not wish to upset anyone on this charity event.

A.

There are set laws for wild camping – that is, simply setting up camp where you are, rather than in a specific area put aside for camping - in England and Wales (the laws are a little different in Scotland, but on this trip they won’t affect you, obviously). The thing you need to consider is the fact that someone – be it a private individual or the National Parks - owns every acre of ground. So that means that at least in theory, you need someone’s permission to make a camp.

In practical terms, though, that doesn’t apply. You’ll find that in most instances, as long as you’re out of sight of farmhouses and on higher ground, you should have no problem – make sure you’re above the intake walls, and you don’t stay for more than two nights. In those cases, wild camping is generally accepted.

Within the National Parks, you actually have a fairly free hand when it comes to wild camping, since it’s covered in the Access Act of 1949. Under that, unless you’re on a campsite, you can only set up a wild camp in the same place for two consecutive nights, and you have to be more than 100 metres from a road, and you can’t be in an enclosure. Other than that, it's fine, with a few small exceptions.

Of course, you should observe the usual rules of camping and clean up after yourselves, making sure you don’t leave any traces when you walk on. All your toilet duties should be performed at the very least 30 metres from any water, and you should bury them carefully using a trowel (so remember to carry one with you!).

You should find that if you approach the situation with proper care and diligence, then you should have no problem, although sticking to the higher ground will be your best bet (which should be no problem as you hit Snowdonia, where you’ll also be in a National Park).

You’re undertaking a long walk, and the wild camping means you’ll need to take a fair amount with you, and there’s a long climb at the end of it all. Pace yourselves, enjoy it, and good luck!

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