An Off-Grid Forest Camp 🌲🔥🚙

Fire and Stars - Connecting with Nature

Feb 02, 2025

A true camping off grid experience - we’re not glampy campy, we’re rustic and raw. In a world where everything feels the need to become glitzier and sparklier, we’re the opposite, we’re back to basics and wanting you to enjoy nature & the great outdoors as it is - not messed about with or manufactured - Fire and Stars Camping

A piece from my private nature journal.

Six hours in, surrounded and immersed in nature. We are camped in the most perfect spot, among the trees. We have squirrels and a robin for company. We have foraged wood for our camp fire.
We have time, we have fire, we have stars. It’s pitch black, no light except for fire light, candle light and star light. It’s perfect.
Taking a deep breath, my body and mind says thank you. I needed this, I really needed this. It’s nature, the power of nature.

Hello my friend.

A warm welcome to my little corner of Substack today. Come on in, get warmed up and make yourself comfortable. Have you got a cuppa?

I talk a lot about how nature can help our wellbeing, and today is no exception, except that today I want to share with you an incredible experience encountered last weekend where we stayed at an off-grid campsite in the National Forest, with our camper van Bella.

The campsite is situated deep within the forest. With no running water or electric, just a portable toilet and a fire pit, it is the perfect back to basics camp. Next to no phone signal either, so it really is a get away from it all kind of camp.

I could not have been happier, having craved a full woodland experience for the longest time. We may have cheated a little by having the creature comforts of the van, but we fully immersed ourselves into the off-grid experience.

We arrived at camp Friday lunchtime, greeted by one of the staff who showed us around and directed us to our pitch. Each pitch is secluded, set far enough away from the next so that one can see the campers in the next pitch but cannot hear them. The pitches also have their own stone built fire-pit. There are just the two hardstanding pitches for campers, the rest are for tents, or tarps.

We were in the midst of storm Eowyn as we arrived, but our spot was fairly sheltered amongst the trees so we were lucky and grateful that we could camp in relative calm. The winds died down later in the afternoon though.

No sooner were we set up and hot drink in hand than the local wildlife descended. A couple of squirrels came to visit. We could see them through the pop top clear vent at the front, no more than five feet away. And robins were close by too.

Anthony, keen to practice his bush craft skills, foraging wood for the fire and using a flint to light the fire. There were plenty of fallen branches on the ground to use but we bought a bag of wood and kindling from the site when we arrived as well to support their ongoing work within the woodland.

We used the firepit to provide our evening meals for the duration of our stay. Anthony being chief BBQ chef as normal, whilst I looked after the breakfasts from within the van.

Building a fire and making good use of an old scout blanket.

Saturday morning we woke to a tranquil daylight, still fairly early as the sun hadn’t quite risen. Enjoying a cup of tea in bed whilst observing a pink-blue sky from the back window of the van as the sun rose above the horizon, sending a dappled light through the trees towards us. Then breakfast as we watched a great spotted woodpecker and several blackbirds going about their daily morning routine, oblivious to our presence.

Wrapped up in thick coats, hats and gloves, we ventured out to explore the woodland around the site. The site spans 48 acres, with approximately 5 miles of winding paths to discover.

I can only describe the site as enchanting. Helped of course by the deepest of blue skies and a mild frost. My favourite kind of walking conditions. But a woodland stroll is perfect in any weather isn’t it.

The land around the campsite is a tapestry of silver birches, winding trails and a tranquil pond at the far end. With a crunch underfoot on the frozen grassland paths we wandered casually through the remote woodland, watching for new signs of life, of which there were a few. With dappled sunlight through the trees, silence, except for the occasional chirp of a bird and our footsteps. Perfectly serene.

Warmed from our walk we spent a blissful few hours outside the van soaking up the afternoon sun, relaxing and reading, with a hot drink.

Fire and stars were the focal point of the evening. A crackling fire to provide our meal and keep us warm, as we viewed the sky above us. It was a clear night, and with no light pollution, the stars and visible planets put on a spectacular show for us before we made our departure the following day.

Our weekend at Fire and Stars changed me. It allowed me to feel so deeply connected to nature in a way I have never felt connected before. From the moment we arrived I felt at peace, like all the troubles of the world had been left far behind. A weight lifted. We were welcomed into the home of the squirrels and the robin, the woodpecker and blackbirds. The Forest. Yes, it felt like home, a home like no other.

If you are looking for a forest getaway, and want an off-grid experience I highly recommend this site. We will definitely be returning in a couple of months and next time we will be trying out our hammock for a bit of forest bathing.

Here is a link to their site if you would like to know more about them.

Fire and Stars.

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