Dan posted an update
6 weeks ago (edited)
Swinley Forest End of December 2025: Nortent Skjul Bivvi Camp
Here’s the link to the YouTube kit list video of everything I took, including my Nortent Skjul bivi: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gi9jmgidMGc
Headed back to Surrey for another forest camp. This time to Swinley Forest, which is a pretty large area and full of many wide and well-maintained tracks. It also has many small trails that wind through the forests. It’s a bit of a mountain biking heaven with signposted routes and many trails.
Swinley Forest is pretty much a plantation forest, which are not the best places for tent or bivi camping. The trees tend to be very close together, and tend to be dark with very little space. Many plantation forests contain very uneven ground and lots of debris, and are void of wildlife.
Swinley Forest has a trig point called TP5536 named Pudding Hill. The neighbouring forest of Barossa Nature Reserve has another called TP6616 – Turf Hill, which has the word ‘WERK’ sprayed on it. My first goal was to bag the Turf Hill trig, as this was where I parked and entered the forest. It’s a large place, so getting all the way across to the Pudding Hill trig was a trek.
Heading back from the Pudding Hill trig point in the direction of where I parked, I ran out of light and had to make do with a spot in a plantation forest close to a path. I settled on a spot, just off from some mountain bike trails and among some dried and brown bracken.
I had hoped to reach the Barossa Nature Reserve as it was prettier and the forest there is more of a natural forest with some stunning mature trees.
Slept well. I was out of sight, but reasonably close to a main route, and there was plenty of bike traffic along this route well into the evening, despite it being dark.
Coordinates:
GPS:SU 88919 63705
Google Maps:51°21’55.7″N 0°43’26.7″W
What3words:stocked.pressing.superhero
Getting there:
I drove and parked right at the end of King’s Park, which was a quiet residential area with lots of free on-street parking. Best of all, it had an entrance straight onto Barossa Nature Reserve.
Barossa Nature Reserve has many residential areas surrounding the entire southern end of the reserve, so there’s plenty of choice.
There are two train stations which are very close to the reserve. Blackwater Station is close to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Blackwater, and Bagshot Station in Bagshot, which is a bit to the east. Both are pretty much located on the A30 London Road.
Heads up:
If I camped in Swinley Forest, I’d bring a hammock next time, or I would tent or bivvi camp in Barossa Nature Reserve, as the area- from the short time I was there – seemed better for camping with a tent or bivvy.
Swinley Forest seemed a bit of a cut-through and a transport route. I saw many cyclists well into the evening, even when it was dark.
Areas like this are also quiet at certain times, but after work they become very busy with dog walkers.
Good phone and internet signal.
#surrey #bivvicamp #plantationforest #trigpoint #TP5536 #TP6616 #wildcamp #nortent #skjul #nortentskjul #trigbagging
