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The legal points of foraging

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The legal points of foraging

Thu 21-Oct-10
8:38 am

Danny

Scarborough, England

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I came across a section about foraging on the BBC web site last night. It provides some general info on the legalities and also some useful links to other related stuff on their site.

Never knowingly underfed

Thu 21-Oct-10
10:48 am

Toffeeapple

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Interesting article Danny, thanks for posting it. I'd never thought of the legality of foraging, previously.

I'll try that again!

Thu 21-Oct-10
12:04 pm

brightspark

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Great article Danny - it's funny, while picking blackberries back in early September, a car stopped on the country lane where we were picking them, and asked if we had a licence to do so. There are some people who are envious, I think, and wish they had seen them first !!!! big_laugh

brightsparklystuff

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until they're in hot water.

- Eleanor Roosevelt -

Thu 21-Oct-10
9:16 pm

mike.

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The article made interesting reading. The bit about foraging being illegal on an SSSI caught my interest. I thought there was an SSSI in the area where I did a lot of my picking but when I had a look at the SSSI website it wasn't listed. It turns out to 'merely' be a nature reserve. Phew.

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Thu 21-Oct-10
11:41 pm

Danny

Scarborough, England

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Mike, I am truly jealous (as an IT guy) that you have published a new acronym that I have never heard of. heartbreak

No worries. I am sure that the IT community will subvert it and re-purpose SSSI to a whole new meaning in the weeks and months to come! big_laugh

Never knowingly underfed

Thu 21-Oct-10
11:55 pm

Toffeeapple

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I can't believe that you've not heard of Sites of Special Scientific Interest, especially living where you do, do you not read Country Living? doh wink

I'll try that again!

Fri 22-Oct-10
10:43 pm

mike.

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I thought the IT world was only interested in TLAs, although I should know better because I've just posted a comment on photo editing where I refer to a programme called Fiji, which is one of those wonderful self-referencing recursive acronyms which programmers are so fond of... (Fiji is a verson of an image editor called ImageJ and it stands for Fiji Is Just ImageJ surprised )

(I remember when I first heard about TLAs - it was around 1991 and I was at the University of Manchester. For some reason I found it hilarious at the time. Probably something to do with cheers )

(TLA = Three Letter Acronym, just to make sure people know what I'm wittering on about)

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Fri 22-Oct-10
11:56 pm

Danny

Scarborough, England

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Toffeeapple said:

do you not read Country Living?

Toffeeapple, darling dearest - I never said that I read Country Living. roll_eyes

Fiona subscribes to it. welldone

I just look at the photos. kiss

It is middle-aged man's equivalent of The Beano cheers

Never knowingly underfed

Sat 23-Oct-10
6:31 pm

Toffeeapple

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Danny said:

Toffeeapple, darling dearest - I never said that I read Country Living.

Silly me! whistle

I'll try that again!

Sun 13-Mar-11
11:55 am

Cherami

Cher France

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I read this with interest because councils may in fact pass whatever laws they like knowing that most people would not challenge them. But do they have a right to prohibit people picking of land that is in fact public ownership and is not the property of the council, but an elected group.

Does the fruit from next door belong to next door or is it yours ? because you have a right to trim that which overhangs so do you give it back when you cut it down including the fruit if any? Do you have the right to give back to the owner the dog stuff they leave around, or does it belong to the council, in which case it could be dumped on their doorstep all of it.

Now in France it seems that if you cut back tree's you give the tree bits back to the owner, if that is the law I don't know but it seems to be an acceptable way. The large Forest we have that are in public ownership are visited by hoards to pick mushrooms and the like but not anytime at a certain time only.

Common land in the UK you can graze your animals but what about picking the fruit etc if there is any. The mind boggles at the laws that people keep trying to make and yet they are unable to control a quarter of them. Why can we not just live a simple life.

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Sun 13-Mar-11
4:12 pm

brightspark

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Robert, our neighbour in France told us that we can pick fruit, if it is overhanging the road, say, providing that we do not damage the plant itself. So I'm not sure about the 'cutting back' of the tree.

(I had found a mirabelle tree just yards from our house, and it seemed to be on a bit of land that didn't appear to be part of anyone's garden, which is why I asked. He was adamant that I could pick all the fruit that I wanted from it, as long as no damage is done to the tree.)

Grazing animals in the UK is only permissable if you have 'common rights' to do so. Usually this is granted by the owner. (All land in the UK is owned by someone, and where it is common land, the owner's 'rights' are restricted to, say, mineral or timber rights, etc).

smile

Women are like tea bags. . .

you never know how strong they are

until they're in hot water.

- Eleanor Roosevelt -

Mon 15-Aug-11
11:55 am

Glen

Northumberland

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My understanding is that you can pick as long as the plant is not cultivated - i.e if I plant a blackberry bramble with a view to harvesting the fruits, you cannot take the fruits as it is a cultivated plant, but if it is growing and sown wild then as long as you are not trespassing to do so, you can pick all the fruit you wish.

We did our first blackberry pick of the year last night actually from the roadside although it's early here, we got a decent amount within about half an hour - so a lovely crumble coming tonight with blackberrys and my own rhubarb (bumper crop this year for some reason - all the rain I suspect). i_am_hungry

Meus terra erro est frigus

Fri 7-Oct-11
5:47 pm

mike.

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There's a story on the BBC website about Southampton council trying to ban picking of berries and nuts. Luckily common sense prevailed and people were allowed to go ahead and do their foraging.

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Sun 16-Oct-11
11:21 pm

Hannah

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In Norway there exists a long standing right to forage for wild fruits etc. which allows you to pick on non- private , non cultivated land, as long as doing so means you keep away from private property by a margin of I think 100 to 150 metres (I am remembering something from a project I worked on a few years ago so may be a little hazy) It is called "Allemennsrett" or every mans right literally translated, which I think is a great rule to have.

Are we having fun yet? I am!

Mon 17-Oct-11
12:39 pm