Dartmoor winter bushcraft

Escaping the city.

Finished work in London at 19:00 and got on a train to the south west.

Arrived at the eastern edge of Dartmoor National Park at 23:00 and stepped right into a blizzard.

Made camp in an ancient oak grove (-2 to -4 Celsius at night)

Woke up to a beautiful morning.

Grouse tracks

Sheep Sorrel

Rarer than wood or field sorrel. Beautiful lemony or sour apple taste.

Pristine wilderness

Gorse flowers

Picked a bunch of these for an evening brew.

Medieval ruins

Beautiful fresh water

But always purify to be safe

Wall pennywort or Navalwort

One of my favourites, comparable to cucumber in taste and texture.

Dartmoor wild ponies

Ash Keys

last years, somewhat past their best, gave these a miss.

Ribwort plantain

Edible, can be cooked like spinach but it's best use is medicinal- it can treat many ailments. I have used it for burns and blisters and it is remarkably effective at soothing and promoting healing.

Haw berries

Again past their best. Tea made from these berries with a drop of honey is one of the best wild brews.

Medieval ruins

These look like they were once stables.

Gorse tea

My basha setup

Misty morning

Another ancient oak grove.

My final campsite. These groves were home to the druids in ancient times and when you camp out in them you can almost feel their presence. It’s an eerie yet beautifully atmospheric place.