UKC

I'll be in the area this week and wondered if it's permissible / possible to wild camp (just me, and leaving no trace of course) in the Black Mountains section of the Brecon Beacons NP. I was thinking about the upper Grwyne Fawr valley, or somewhere on the Herefordshire side if COVID restrictions prohibit in Wales. 

I appreciate that it's a sensitive topic, and wild camping may not be officially permitted anywhere in the Brecon Beacons NP.

Many thanks for any advice.

Martin

Not sure why the down vote? If you know that what I'm suggesting is illegal, or prohibited by current Welsh COVID restrictions or frowned upon by local farmers etc. then it would be nice to know. I was only after advice, not intending to go ahead regardless.

Anyway, this will serve as a bump.

Martin

It'll definitely be frowned upon by the landowners if you get caught.  I live on the edge of the Black Mountains.  Also if you are wild camping, you should probably know that it's not legal in Wales.  Scotland and Dartmoor are different obviously.

I've done it, camp high out of sight of the main footpaths, camp late, leave early  and leave no trace

Thanks Matt

It surprises me that wild camping is not legal in Wales given the amount that takes place in Snowdonia, including camping organised by the likes of Plas y Brenin on ML courses. 

But I'll take your advice re the Black Mountains. I was aware that there might be more issues there.

Martin

The difference is that an ML group won’t leave piles of shite behind, chop down trees for campfires or otherwise disrespect the area, unfortunately wild camping is going the wrong way at the moment as some scratter will have watched a YouTube video and appear on a hill with no clue what they are doing.

Just do it.  Discretely.  And don't post about it, here or anywhere.

It's illegal in most of the UK, apart from Scotland and Dartmoor.  Unless of course you have the landowners permission.  I would imagine that PyB have got permission of the relevant landowner.

Actually I've no idea if it's ok in Northern Ireland and tbh, I cba to check.

Sound advice.

Just do it, so long as you are respectful and set up camp late and strike camp early no one will even notice.

I think you'll find that wild camping is illegal just about anywhere at present; something to do with a pandemic that's been going on for over a year now.

Northern Ireland has even worse access rights than England so I'm sure there is no right to wild camp. 

Pro tip: Declare yourself a Freeman of the Land and you can basically do what you want by talking bollocks at anyone who tries to stop you until they lose the will to live.

Not true I would have thought. If you're on your own, or with a member of your household, it's permitted, in England at least, from 12 April this year, and for much of last year. It surely counts as "self-contained camping". The COVID risks are minimal, apart from interactions with others on the drive to and from the area. And we are now permitted to do that.

I'm certainly not ignoring or underplaying COVID, as your post could, I think, be taken to suggest.

Martin

Hi Martin, I've PM'd you.