[Skully]

Hello everyone.
I genuinely hope that the following is a welcome post, and ask directly out of open-minded trust in my fellow humans! If it's unacceptable please tell me.

I'm trying to DIY holiday with my kid this whitsun out of London, probably ending in Bristol, and have woodcraft/forest school camps background. This means any stays are entirely low impact/invisible: no waste, litter or sign of our small cook fire, liquid & and human waste holes will be discernable within a fortnight, done under properly cut and relaced turf.
 
I wonder if any smallholders here, or friends of yours, might consider allowing a friendly, quiet dad & son to sit, eat and appreciate a tiny corner, trackside, coppice or hedge to shelter us on our slow journey west, pedalling away in relative idyll. No question that we'd take all responsibilty for ourselves. We'd need only permission to find a couple of sticks, and some water, and would be grateful to buy any produce if such is available.

I hope this post is taken in the manner in which it is intended, a friendly reaching out from a city bound soul with a wandering spirit, with respect & solidarity with your work and role in our land.

Yours hopefully & blue skies,
Ben aka Skully
Member of: Clarion 1895 CC, CTC, HHYCC, Forest School Camps, BECTU

bleighton23 (at) yahoo (dot) com

[Bionic]

Ben,
I am probably way out of the area you are looking for, I am near Talley in Carmarthenshire, but if you do come this way you will be welcome to use my field.
Sally

[Skully]

Thanks for your response, Sally. I'll be sure to contact you if our plans change in a Wales-wards direction. I've always wanted to see more of west Wales, and have some friends who have some fields not terribly far from you.

Ben

[Brucklay]

I think that's a great idea Skully but I don't think you'll make it to Aberdeenshire but if you ever did you'd be very welcome

[Fleecewife]

Your planned holiday sounds absolutely wonderful, slow and relaxing (traffic permitting).  I'm in Scotland I'm afraid but I would love to hear about how the journey goes once you get home. 

[Skully]

Thanks you two. I'm going to stop in a family member's garden in west Berks, so the idea of carrying on with some more camping nights, perhaps with a B&B to fill a gap or two. I'd rather sleep in a tiny tent any day. I've been waiting til the lad's old enough to properly contribute (on a sort of tandem) to pulling touring gear around - til now we've only ridden for day expeditions. Hopefully this outing will be the first of many.

[Rosemary]

Sounds fab - hope you get lots of help from TASers. If you ever get to Angus, you can have a corner of our field. We're on the main cycle route up the east coast too.

[colliewoman]

Give me a yell if you get near Pilton/Glastonbury

[MAK]

Ben - that sounds great and I really hope all turns out well.

A family from Paris want to tour our area of the Limousin and stay with Brits to improve their English. They ask for a small plot to camp and plan to bring bikes and a canoe for their 5 children !

next year we will be in a position to welcome like minded people like yourselves - my daughter wants to make an outdoor kitchen - walkers or visitors could also use it.

Good luck with the schedule. Martin

[Lesley Silvester]

   Good luck, Ben.  It sounds like the kind of holiday that memories are made of.  I only have a back garden and I'm not on your route anyway but hope you find plenty of paces to stay.

[Brijjy]

If you are near Newtown, Powys you're welcome to pitch up in me field or I can tell you of some great little wild camping spots. I go camping with work every week.

[SmallTimeSmallholder]

Hi Ben,
What a wonderful trip you have planned! We're in East Sussex and have plenty of room etc for you to pitch a tent. Unfortunately, inside we're bursting at the seams so no spare room I'm afraid. If we can be of any help, we'd be delighted to put you up!
Best wishes!

[Possum]

Hi Ben

We are a few miles east of Taunton. You are welcome to a corner of one of our paddocks if we are on your route.

[Skully]

Well, so nice to have a friendly response from you all. I think we're going to stick to our plan of riding a route that follows the Kennett & Avon Canal, probably from Newbury to Bristol - one can ride lots of this on the towpaths which is nicer for us. My boy's only seven so the less road riding the better. We'll plan to ride 20-25 miles a day so we have plenty of time to find places to stay in the afternoon, and strike camp in the morning.

Your kind offers and support is appreciated! I reckon more by-road based riding will open up Wales, Scotland, West Country and East Anglia to us when the lad's a bit older.

[chairmanphil]

hi Ben, i'm in Oxfordshire near Didcot and Abingdon. i have a nook you can pitch a tent for a night and there is loads of free fire wood and a tap of fresh drinking water. nice place for a quiet night. give me a shout nearer the time and see what we can do. nice idea good luck with the planning.