Morning all well I think I will go and have a walk on Strensall Common this morning and maybe have a go at some bushcraft along the way? Anyone else around?
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Well I did not manage to get to the common on the 9th but this morning I got up, got myself and the boys togged up and of we went it was a lovely morning we stopped at our secret camp no 1 and had hot chocolate and biscuits then tabbed to camp 2 lit a small fire with out matches or lighters got warmed up as it was -6 had more hot chocolate and various foods!!! thoroughly made sure the fire was extinguished then crossed the field of "babies heads" before making our way up to "sappers ridge" and with no enemy found we then dropped down past a frozen lake Huron were we found no Indians or French trappers and so made a safe arrival at the start point and back to reality!!!!! shame into the car and back home now getting ready for a Sat night shift . We said we might return tommorow with the sledge and sleigh down sappers ridge!!!!
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And today back on the coomon with kids and the misses and sledge had a great time yippee!
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Yesterday we visited the common on a lovely warm and sunny afternoon. whilst the boys and I made dens out of old branches and stuff L. prepared a great meal on the cadack fantastic, healthy low cost family fun!!!!! Only wish we could have stopped the night
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 Well I did not manage to get to the common on the 9th but this morning I got up, got myself and the boys togged up and of we went it was a lovely morning we stopped at our secret camp no 1 and had hot chocolate and biscuits then tabbed to camp 2 lit a small fire with out matches or lighters got warmed up as it was -6 had more hot chocolate and various foods!!! thoroughly made sure the fire was extinguished then crossed the field of "babies heads" before making our way up to "sappers ridge" and with no enemy found we then dropped down past a frozen lake Huron were we found no Indians or French trappers and so made a safe arrival at the start point and back to reality!!!!! shame into the car and back home now getting ready for a Sat night shift. We said we might return tommorow with the sledge and sleigh down sappers ridge!!!!
Isn't Strensall Common a protected area? 
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Its a Special Area of Conservation and a wildlfe trust nature conserve (as well as, according to the same sources) part of an internationally important area of lowland heaths. which makes me think...why are you lighting fires? I appreciate it was during the winter and all that, but even so.
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 Strensall Common has also been used for years as a military training area and part of it is now fenced off when the ranges are in use. I still use the place now and again for running 
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Hi GOF & Jester Thanks for the reply and concerns about protected area this may be so but the whole area is still used as a training ground by the Regualr Military along with various non regular and youth units throughout the year. These guys camp out, light fires, cook food, fire blank rounds, throw thunderflashes, shamolules, mini flares and lots besides and also leave a lot of rubbish about too! I am blessed to have kids that in this day and age love the outdoors and even better like to get back to basics, they also have a healthy interest in the environment something that our world leaders along with many others do not! Animals, Insects fallen trees are greatly respected too. As an ex forces profesional I too trained on Strensall Common over 20 years ago, so along with the nostalgia I also can show my kids what I learnt and the respect I have for the outdoors, the skill of lighting a fire and being able to cook your food is a valuable skill to have and being able to leave minimal disruption and evidence of being there is even better! Perhaps the do-gooders of our society should invest more time and resources in teaching our kids about the great outdoors and learning these esential skills. If our kids are not exposed to the risks, the dangers in a relatively safe and supervised manner if they are not permitted to have a go then when it comes to an emergency situation what chance have they got! I live and adopt a can do approach to life! with great respect. Rocket.
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 We have a nature reserve near us, a couple of summers back they burnt off the heather, it's a shame the ground nesting birds weren't informed, i must have counted over 20 nests with either eggs or hatchlings in that perished. Good on you for getting the kids out there Rocket, with a fun but responsible attitude.
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Pretty sure I used Strensall ranges at some point in the dim and distant past. Wasn't sure about access on the common though.
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 There's a large part which is free access at any time and thus full of dog walkers etc. And then a chunk closed much of the time with flags etc, and finally the rather obvious bits are closed all the time..... As for the heath bit, its nice and all but a shame about all those willow(?) seedlings they have to periodically take out to prevent it turning it forested.
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Rocket - as a teacher, a youth leader and a DoE leader I fully agree with your observations regard kids taking risks and generally having fun. I am also passionate about the environment and the outdoors and am very aware of the damage that fires do (even if only to the 2 square feet where the fire is). I am also aware of the old addage, two wrongs dont make a right - so just because the military using the area are so undisciplined to leave rubbish about, light fires where (arguably) there is no need etc doesnt make it right for you to do so...maybe? A quick google shows a report of a fire there this time last year - caused when a controlled burn went wrong. Just shows that even with the best intentions problems happen. Try taking your kids to a Scout Association campsite - most support bushcrafting, nearly all allow fires and you wont get grief about possibly wrecking a nature reserve
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All, I am glad to hear that you all like to visit Strensall Military Training area, The Common "as you call it" was actually purchased by the MOD in 1884. Because it has been owned by the military since that time the site has been allowed to mature and develope under the watchful eye of mother nature. Because of this fact it has been awarded both a European and National site of conservation SAC/SSSI. Add to this fact that the MOD has a no burn policy on all its estate. Whilst cooking stoves are permitted lighting fires with or without matches is not permitted. The site is there pridominantly for military personnel to train for military operations, that said members of the General Public are very welcome to visit the site when it is not being used by MOD personnel. But for lighting fires, surely this life skill can be taught in your own back garden.
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