Forest of Dean Wildcamping?

[Law]

Anyone been to the forest? Is it a good place to wild camp? How remote is it?

[David_JAFO]

hello,
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical & cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. I don't want to poop on your adventure but don't you require permission to wild camp there? BTW I understand what wild camping means, but isn't this area protected or have Park Rangers?
Regards
David
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_of_Dean


Anyone been to the forest? Is it a good place to wild camp? How remote is it?

[midas]

Good place to pan for gold.........there an old gold mine in the area!!!

[Greenbear]

Would wild boar be a problem with camping near them? - I understand they are quite widespread I the Forest

[midas]

Would wild boar be a problem with camping near them? - I understand they are quite widespread I the Forest

Not if you take a .270w,or a .308...lol
You'd just have to take eggs,you'd have plenty of bacon for breakfast.


Only in jest.....Wild camping in England not allowed,as neither is shooting ..without permision.

[Greenbear]

Only in jest.....Wild camping in England not allowed,as neither is shooting ..without permision.

I'm aware of that Midas :) - but I was just wondering about any potential problems with wild boar if one did. The Forest of Dean is in the catchment area for our local news and we hear a lot of "shock, horror wild boar" type stories :)

[jus_young]

Most of which are hyped up stories as the media never seem to keep a story straight. Like any other animal wild boar will go the opposite way of any human approaching with attacks limited to when young are considered to be at risk by their parents or dogs that are not under suitable control.

I would relish the thought of being able to camp in such a place with the chance of seeing an animal that was once commonplace until man took a taste to it. Here at my local patch on Exmoor, animal activists released quite a few boar that were being farmed and the population is steadily increasing. Have yet to see any though and it is not from a lack of trying.

[Ehecatl]

Mr and Mrs Ehecatl were in the Forest of Dean a couple of years ago and came across some wild boar with piglets (? if that's the right term). We were all near a main road and so the trees were spread out giving good visibility for a significant distance. People were getting close enough to take pictures without crowding the boar and they didn't seem at all bothered. That said, this was a more popular and open area and I suspect they came into contact regularly with humans.

However, I would not like to surprise one with youngsters - especially if it is not used to humans. Those tusks look nasty if they're in the wrong mood.

M@

P.S. If one of the piglets wanted to have a tantrum in John Lewis it would be fine by me. :happy-clapping:

[midas]

Withvreferance to wild boar running away from you.isnt alway true.if cornered or if one is stood on one off their escape routes.the will wildly charge an if you dont get out of the way the will knock you over.They are caperble of usingvtheir tusks.and i have seen a calf muscle slashed offthrough a wellie too.several dogs killed or seriously wounded.
But then we are hunting driving,and shooting them.
These boar are in Croatia and France.
Perhaps our English Boar are more gentemanly/tame,as most are desendant from escaped or released stock.by missguided "Animal lovers "

[Greenbear]

Thanks guys - mixed experiences there - I guess the Forest of Dean boars are possibly more used to people? There is a local woodland that has wild pigs (farm escapees) that have been living there since the 1960s. I've never seen them and despite the wood being popular I know very few who have - you can, however, clearly see where they have been rootling around :)

[CheddarMan]

Withvreferance to wild boar running away from you.isnt alway true.if cornered or if one is stood on one off their escape routes.the will wildly charge an if you dont get out of the way the will knock you over.They are caperble of usingvtheir tusks.and i have seen a calf muscle slashed offthrough a wellie too.several dogs killed or seriously wounded.
But then we are hunting driving,and shooting them.
These boar are in Croatia and France.
Perhaps our English Boar are more gentemanly/tame,as most are desendant from escaped or released stock.by missguided "Animal lovers "

The key bit there is that you are hunting them with several dogs and trying to corner and kill them, of course they get driven to a position of kill or be killed. In the FoD, as with anywhere in nature, they will run rather than pick a scrap.

Greenbear, I am a big advocate of getting out and about, I orienteer a lot in teh FoD, and mostly stay over the night before somewehere. Don't worry about the Rangers David_JAFO mentioned, they don't fly around in helicopters with heat seeking cameras, they will not be out and about looking for some sensible wild campers! Like the Ashdown advice, keep away from paths, don't like a towering inferno, arrive late, leave early, have a great time!