Camping in the Brecon Beacons

Q. I am trying to find out if it is O.K. to camp wild in the Brecon Beacons National Park, any advice would be appreciated

David Rogers, Basildon

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A. Hi David, there are two sites on the Brecon Beacons Where you can camp wild.

The first is Melte OS Map ref SN918084 near the famous Clun-gwyn waterfalls about three miles from Ystradfellte. It's a bracken field where the forestry enterprise allows overnight camping for groups of no more than ten.

The second is Llech Lia OS Map ref SN922193 free overnight camping allowed by Cnewr Estate under agreement with Brecon Beacons National Park except lambing season 15th April - 10th May. No fires, No dogs and camping must be out of site of the road. There is a spring and stream nearby.

Have fun

Dai Humphreys, Swansea

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A. Re David Rogers query. I believe wild camping in the Brecons is OK, as long as you are responsible. Be aware of the incredible fog that can cover the Pen Y Fan area though, it made my winter wild camping debut rather interesting in February.

J Beer, Southampton

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A. I understand that over much of the area wild camping is discouraged but with a responsible approach to the Forestry Commission (No naked flames) the wooded areas are possible. Discretion accepted.

Kieron Dunning, Swansea

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A. In answer to David Rogers question about wild camp in the Brecon Beacons I would think there would not be a problem. As a para I can vouch for the fact that The Parachute Regiment wild camps, digs trenches, and generally bums around the region - so I see know reason for a civvie not to do the same.

Gordon Biggerstaff

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A. Re David Rogers camping wild in the Brecons query. He needs to contact the Brecon Beacons National Park and can do so via their excellent website as I think there are restrictions. Which is interesting because Trail magazine often carries articles about walks in the Brecons involving overnight wild camping - even on Pen Y Fan!.

Hope this helps

Helen Clover

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NB. Wild Camping and The Law in England, Scotland and Wales.

Tents cannot be pitched just anywhere because every piece of Britain is owned by some individual or some organisation and according to the strict letter of the law permission must be obtained prior to pitching tent and camping.

In practice however, this is often impractical and wild camping is usually tolerated in the more remote areas - typically, more than half a day's walk from an official campsite or other accommodation providing you:

Keep groups small
Camp as unobtrusively as possible
Leave camp as you found it
Remove all litter (even other people's)
Carry out everything you carried in
Carry out tampons and sanitary towels (burying them doesn't work as animals dig them up again)
Choose a dry pitch rather than digging drainage ditches around a tent or moving boulders
Toilet duties should be performed 30m (100ft) from water and the results buried using a trowel
At all time, help preserve the environment
And if you are in any doubt about what you're doing, find out more

In Scotland, the current access legislation (which came into effect in early 2005) is explicit about your right to wild camp on hill land.

There appears to be an exception to this with respect to camping in Dartmoor National Park where the right to wild camping is actually enshrined in the National Parks & Access to the Countryside Act, 1949 amendment Dartmoor Commons Act, 1985 - see Wild Camping in the UK for more details.

For the definitive answer with respect to wild camping in Scotland see the answer supplied by the Scottish Natural Heritage

NB. go4awalk.com cannot offer any advice on suitable locations for wild camping.

Hope this helps

Mike (Editor)

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