Agreed Dave.

I'll leave this thread alone now, pointing anyone who fancies some further background reading about the iniquities of land "ownership", and (to keep OnT) lack of freedom to bivi peacefully and non-destructively, caused by historical cronyist-allocation at this:
https://www.newstatesman.com/society/20 ... ur-britain. It's still going on: recent leaseholder "escalating fees" scandal anyone?

Did my first canal bivy last weekend, top advice and narrow boat owners very much on our wavelength.

I've got the Grand Union on my doorstep and have slept along its length from Rickmansworth to Birmingham. I've a mate who lives on a narrow boat and he cautions me against it thanks to the volume of scrotes who use the paths, but Ive never had any issues. Maybe just lucky.

The law that bridleways (highways) are for passing and repassing alone changed many years ago and there is now a reasonableness test. For the most part camping or bivvying is not classed as reasonable but it depends on a number of factors, mainly the degree and duration of obstruction. So if it's midnight on a little used bridleway with plenty of room, in the unlikely event that you are challenged you are very unlikely to be prosecuted.

Doesn't prevent a discourse in the dark with a landowner though, so you could just smile, stroke their thigh and tell them you are packing a Hunka XL. Before you know it, harmony under the stars and the lighting of two cigarettes.

What an appealing image there, 'black! Nice one