Ramblers Advice On Wild Camping
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Over at The Ramblers site they cover the subject of this petition in a document here.
I got this link from the Legalise Wild Camping Group that is on Facebook. So thanks to James Bamford for this link. If you are on Facebook why not show your support by join the the Legalise Wild Camping Group there.
This is what they say on the subject over at The Ramblers site about Wild Camping and it’s legality:
“Wild camping
In England and Wales you have no general right to camp and if you do so you may be trespassing, unless you use an official site or first obtain the landowner’s permission. In practice responsible “wild” camping may be tolerated in upland areas, particularly when you are a long way from alternative accommodation, though strictly speaking you are still trespassing and could be moved on. Some upland areas have particular sites where camping is informally tolerated. The best approach is to enquire locally or contact information sources such as national park authorities in advance.
In Scotland responsible wild camping is permitted on most land so long as you follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (see Responsible walking below). The Code itself gives detailed guidance, and useful advice on how to camp responsibly is also available at www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/leaflets/wildcamp.html.
Trespass
If you are on private land where (or when) access rights or other public access arrangements don’t apply, or you fail to comply with the conditions of access rights, for example by acting irresponsibly, the landowner could claim you were trespassing. In most cases this is a civil rather than a criminal matter, so signs stating “Trespassers will be prosecuted” are normally meaningless.
In England and Wales, the landowner can use reasonable force, such as taking you by the arm, to get you to leave. In Scotland, the Outdoor Access Code advises landowners never to use force. A landowner could also seek an injunction or, in Scotland, an interdict against you returning to the same land, or attempt to sue you for damages, but the lack of cases suggests that this is unlikely in the case of harmless recreational use of land.
The exception is on certain special areas such as land around railways, airports, ports and military land, where it’s a criminal offence to walk without permission: such land is usually fenced off and clearly marked.“
Posted on: Friday, March 7, 2008 at 6:29 am
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