TOUR ESSENTIALS
WHERE WE STAYED
What is Wild With Consent?
Wild With Consent (www.wildwithconsent.com) aims to connect motorcaravanners with private landowners in Northumberland.
The scheme offers exclusive off-the-beaten-track locations, where ’vans can pitch in natural and often wild surroundings.
With one pitch per location, you will always have exclusive use. Each site is only available for a maximum 28 days per year; guests may stay for no more than one night.
Visitors book online via the Wild With Consent website and are sent directions prior to arrival. There are currently a dozen sites to choose from, costing £25 to £100. Visitors must follow the Leave Only Footprints code of conduct and the Countryside Code.
What did I think of my visit?
I love camping off-grid; it’s what
I do most when touring Europe, so to have opportunity to do so in England adds another dimension. Both of the sites I stayed at, West Learmouth and Elwick, provided peace and wild camping.
On arrival for my first night in West Learmouth, I felt it should be made clear about the suitability of each site for the size of ’van. Had I arrived in anything bigger than my tiny camper, I would have had to find somewhere else to stay.
I didn’t feel comfortable with the amount of room available to turn (my ’van is only 4.5m long), with long grass hiding soggy ground, and I ended by reversing back up the sloping track to the entrance.
I spoke to the owners who said they would have towed me out in the event of a problem.
Elwick was a very different experience. A stone track took me to a mown site with plenty of room to move, on level ground. Even if it had rained solidly, I would have been able to pull away easily. However, in my opinion the scheme is pricey, at £25 to
£100 per night. You do receive exclusivity, but nothing more.
The scheme is designed to allow you to get away from campsites with facilities, and that’s fine; they cannot, therefore, be comparable. But I’ve stayed at dozens of CLs and CSs in remote locations for anywhere between £5 and £20 and most often had the site to myself – and at least you can obtain fresh water and, for the latter price, EHU.
If you use aires and Stellplätze, you’ll be aware that you can stay in some great locations free of charge or for a handful of euros.
Alternatively, the France Passion scheme allows you to stay for free and spend your £25 to £100 on the owner’s wine instead.
So, while I admire the Wild With Consent concept – it offers some beautiful places to stay - this could perhaps be regarded as costly camping. These are one-off stays; you’d be less likely to tour for a week or a fortnight at these prices.
FIND OUT MORE
■ Northumberland Tourist Board
Web visitnorthumberland.com There’s parking by the barracks in Berwick-upon-Tweed, free for three hours with a parking disk displayed. There’s a huge pay and display car park on Holy Island, and free parking in Ford and Etal.