Fox Wood Campsite | Do you allow campfires?

Do you allow campfires?

Yes – the Fox Wood Campsite is all about relaxing in the forest and enjoying a campfire.

The woodland has been carefully organised so that each pitch has its own campfire area under the trees.

You will not share your campfire with people you do not know – and every campfire is large enough for families or gathering around if you are camping with friends.

Whisk away Modern-day Stress with lashings of Green Time Camping is the perfect opportunity to get a break from the busyness of everyday life and spend time getting close to nature. One of the easiest ways to really make the most of your camping trip is to try to limit screen usage. It is a great way to get a break from overloading your brain with information, whether on social media or the news, and to have more ‘green time’ to spend in nature. I always find that even if it’s just for a few days, a camping trip is the perfect reset: a break from all the stresses of normal life. Spending less time on screens A sure-fire way to reduce screen time when you’re camping is just to leave behind any technology you don’t actually need. Why not leave computers and laptops at home, as you don’t want to be checking emails or watching Netflix when you could be out on a walk or stargazing in the incredible UK countryside. You could also purposefully choose a campsite that doesn’t have Wi-Fi. A few less extreme tips are to keep your phone on silent and turn off notifications so you’re less likely to check it. Or to just keep devices in the tent or car so that they’re out of sight out of mind. If you’d like some more tips on reducing screen usage, as well as how you can keep this up at home, be sure to check out my blog National Unplug Day – Could you go Technology Free? Keeping kids entertained Although you may be motivated to try and reduce your own screen use on the camping trip, kids and teens may be less inclined to try out a weekend without their phones. One great way to keep kids engaged with the spirit of camping, is to let them bring some friends along. This means that they don’t need to spend as much time on their phones keeping in contact with friends, as they have their friends right there. You can also help to keep kids off screens by giving them lots of alternative engaging activities. Camping is perfect for this as there are endless activities for kids to do. They could play games outside- this is especially perfect if there is a big group of children. Some of my favourites used to be: 40/40 home- a classic game that kids of all ages can play and mafia- a fun and suspenseful ‘who dunnit game’, a quick google will help you familiarise yourself with the rules. Capture the flag is also great as it can be played at night. In my blog The magic of camping after dark, I go into detail about how kids can use torches to play this game at night. Sporting activities If you’re camping with sporty kids, you could bring a football and even some nets for a massive game of footy. Other sporty camping activities that are great fun for all ages are volleyball as all you need to do is put up a net, or you could bring along badminton bats and a shuttlecock. If you’re playing with a mix of abilities but people still want to run around outdoors, a frisbee or rounders kit is perfect. We also always have loads of fun with beach ball and bat sets, especially playing as a duo and trying to beat your personal best! Camping crafts Craft activities are another fantastic way to spend more time outside. If you bring along crayons, kids can make leaf rubbings. Just put a piece of paper over the leaf with the veiny side up and rub a crayon onto the paper. If you find some clay in the ground in your camping trip, this actually happens more often than you’d realise, or if you bring some clay with you, then camping is a great place for making sculptures. One of my favourite things to do is make faces out of clay in the trees, they look so beautiful and whimsical, and will decompose so you don’t damage the environment. If kids need some encouragement to spend time in the great outdoors, then why not organise a scavenger hunt. You could get them to try and find feathers, stones with holes in them, or to tick off certain bugs and animals they can spot. Or you could get kids to do a colour themed scavenger hunt, finding something pink, green, orange etc. if you’d like some more tips on camping activities for kids then check out my blog Keeping the kids entertained on your camping adventure. Bad weather forecast Don’t think that rainy weather signals the end of your chance to spend time in nature. Just make sure you always pack waterproofs for every member of your family (and loads of spare socks- trust me) and you’ll be able to carry on as usual, hiking and spending time in the countryside. Also make sure you have a good quality awning that the whole group can fit under, so you aren’t confined to the tent. If you’d like to learn more about how to not only survive, but enjoy, camping in bad weather- here is a general guide to camping in the rain. Family activities in nature One of the best ways to get the whole family out in nature is to go on a walk. Although people might take a bit of encouraging to head out on a hike, if you bring enough snacks and water and find a beautiful walk to go on, your family will be inspired by the awe-inspiring surroundings in no time. If your kids quickly get tired or bored when walking, I’d recommend finding a walk that ends in a pub so that everyone can have a nice meal to look forwards to at the end. Horse riding is another fun camping activity and if you find a nearby stable, they can take your family out on a guided horse-riding trip and provide all the necessary equipment. There is no better way to explore the UK countryside than from on top of a horse. Hiring bikes or bringing them yourself is another a great day out, and everyone will be super tired out by the end of it. You could also bring a picnic to have when you take a break in the middle of your cycle ride. Finally, at the end of the day, you can all sit around the campfire telling stories, toasting marshmallows and, if you’re lucky and it’s a clear night, looking at the stars!

Please note:

We only permit the burning of FSC approved logs – and these must be purchased from the campsite shop/log store
For the protection of the forest you are not permitted to bring any external wood for your campfire – as this increases the risk of killing or contaminating the woodland trees here with bugs and diseases bought in inadvertently of unchecked firewood.
For the protection of the Fox Wood forest – the picking up of sticks and foraging is also forbidden as this could potentially damage the habitats of the insects and fungi found within the woodland.
We ALWAYS have a good supply of firewood and lighting products to purchase from the reception shop.

Fox Wood Camping

Do you allow campfires?