Buying a small wood as semi permanent base?

[Firefox]

Has anyone thought of doing this? Woodland is available for 7 to 8 thousand an acre, most with vehicular access. So for 15-20k or so you could have 2-3 acres which would be enough for a hideaway location. And you are allowed to live on woodland in temporary accommodation for the purpose of forestry and maintaining the land.

OK there is no EHU or water, but you could dispose of small amounts organic waste in pits and probably rig up a solar cell array on top of your foresty toolshed/woodshed (allowed). A once a week trip to fill up the water tanks and carriers would be all was needed in that respect.

It strikes me a motorhome would be the ideal living quarters. It's easy to up sticks for a couple of months if needed but in practice on your own land and if you carried out a little woodland maintenance, I can't see a problem.

 

[Coolasluck]

Thats an idea i had with the wife,but she is worried that tinkers or travellers may invade.It is always an option just depends if the woodland is near to where you want to reside,any ideas that save us money with regards to the goverment or the banks are all good ones to me.

 

[guerdeval]

And big tax allowances too

 

[bevdrew]

Good idea, you mean woodlands like these?:

http://www.johnclegg.co.uk/site/uploads/pdf/old-park_71743017.pdf

http://www.johnclegg.co.uk/site/uploads/pdf/watercroft-wood_1176096279.pdf

http://www.johnclegg.co.uk/site/uploads/pdf/lane-end-wood_1359856411.pdf

http://www.johnclegg.co.uk/site/uploads/pdf/abbotts-wood-hill_1347557850.pdf

Some come with sporting rights - so meals supplied!

We can but dream

 

[Admin]

There is also the option of a well for water.

 

[bevdrew]

Well/borehole or stream will do. Could also dig long-drop (obviously away from water supply!).

That's it - we're selling up our semi with backyard hens and moving to the woods! - Cheaper than our other dream of a smallholding

 

[ellisboy]

woodland

Woodland is cheap in France also,and you don't get tinkers camping on it either.We've got a small wood in the Charente Maritime.

 

[Randonneur]

I remember reading a while ago about groups of people who club together to buy a parcel of woodland and run it as a business producing forestry products, logs, charcoal, fencing, timbers etc. It brings down the cost of ownership and there is a residual income from the produce. Not sure how it works or who to contact but the wife and me thought it sounded like a good idea, you could always set aside a bit of land for a basic hideaway site.

 

[BedfordMJ]

The top one is about a ten minute drive from my home.

 

[Telstar]

BedfordMJ

Yes, and I've stayed on the camp site. I might have a problem with the access if it is always wet and unsuitable for vehicles, except perhaps yours!

On a separate note, are you thinking of joining us at Hayfield at the end of the month. No far from you and you never know, Mandrake may be putting in a guest appearance.

Jon

 

[BedfordMJ]

Hi Jon,
I'm afraid i'll not be able to come my partner is going to New York with his mother and I can't manage to get the dog in and out of the truck on my own due to his arthritis. I'm sure at some point we'll manage to get to Hayfield. I'm hoping for a long weekend at Spiers house before Christmas.
best wishes

Simon

 

[Firefox]

If you put "woodlands for sale uk" into Google you get a list of companies who sell them. Unfortunately most of the woods are 5 or 6 acres costing around £40,000 but there are some smaller ones in the £15-20,000 range. They usually have access via a locked gate down longish forest tracks so they are not the type of areas attractive to groups of travellers.

The websites of the vendors are pretty well layed out with several maps at different scales and many photographs of the woods, so quite interesting for a browse even if you're not buying, I find.

 

[Deleted member 4850]

We looked into this and it's fine provided it really does stay a hideaway. The biggest problem is if neighbouring landowners or folk become aware of your presence and report you to the planners.Then you get no end of hassle and quite a lot of folk have been turfed off their own land because of this. There is a great book by Ben Law called The Woodland Way which goes into the complexities of getting planning for even living in a caravan in a woodland, and another called Field to Farm which outlines ways to live on your own bit of land. In that they conclude that woodlands are not good for this because of the planning restrictions and the 28 day rule. (See the woodlands.co.uk website for more details). You're only allowed to camp in woodland for 28 days a year. But if you can find a really private bit, then who's counting?! Just a good idea to be aware of the risks before you spend your money.

 

[DRS]

My mum was doing this 30yrs ago so not a new idea. She bought a few acres of land in Surrey as did several other people there was quite a little community there. She would spend weekends and school holidays down there.

 

[guerdeval]

Yes the local authorities in the UK bear little resemblance to their French counterparts, there are riverside plots on rightmove along the Loire for just over £20k, one had a fosse and electricity, actually intended for camping rather than deter people from doing it, land in France is much cheaper than the UK, I actually gave away a small field to a basket weaver friend as it was full of hazel but still not worth the hassle of selling it for cash, I had some lovely baskets and hurdles though.

 

[Firefox]

Yes bodgerndog is right about the 28 day rule.

But if you select the right place, who's counting? Secondly as I said in my first post a motorhome is ideal. If you get any objection, simply move elsewhere wilding for a couple of months, and then you're back in. A static caravan or woodland shack owner simply does not have this option.

And if you are also doing some woodland maintenance such as clearing paths or harvesting wood you have very good reason to be overnighting on your own land. I wouldn't stay there all year personally, that would be taking the piss, but as a semipermanent base combined with a little forestry, it would be ideal. Noone can possible count 28 days unless they are also living overnight next door and have got sight of you. In which case don't buy that type of woodland.

 

[Deleted member 775]

The top one is about a ten minute drive from my home.

hi you will be ok wombwell woods is big enough v and there is a lake stocked full of carp

 

[yorkshiresymbol]

hi you will be ok wombwell woods is big enough v and there is a lake stocked full of carp

I see you are not old enough to remember the searchlights and anti aircraft guns at the bottom of the track to the fishing pond beware the FOWW if they see a camper parked they surround you.

Can you remember the pit or Lady Bountiful

Are you from Wombwell ?

YS

 

[Deleted member 4850]

Yes bodgerndog is right about the 28 day rule.

But if you select the right place, who's counting? Secondly as I said in my first post a motorhome is ideal. If you get any objection, simply move elsewhere wilding for a couple of months, and then you're back in. A static caravan or woodland shack owner simply does not have this option.

And if you are also doing some woodland maintenance such as clearing paths or harvesting wood you have very good reason to be overnighting on your own land.

You're right about the advantages of a motorhome...much easier to stay ahead of the game. Also, in his book, Ben Law mentions that a seasonal forestry worker is allowed to stay 'in a caravan' in a wood for the purposes of seasonal forestry work...so if you can demonstrate that you're working on the wood, that could help bamboozle them...I can think of forestry tasks for most months of the year!

 

[Firefox]

If you have a 3 acre or so wood you can also move your van around to another part of the wood for some different seasonal forestry activity. I believe you are generally allowed to make small clearings and tracks as long as these benefit the woodland as a whole.