59
Well, there's the obvious issue that the bottom may shelve very steeply, so that non-swimmers trying to paddle may drown.
Beyond that, I think there's a specific point and a more general point.
Specifically, deep water is more dangerous in terms of cold water shock.
In the first 3-5 minutes after entering cold water there can be a gasp reflex or muscle ...
35
In the UK we have, comparative to other countries, very few venomous creatures. However the false widow and adders are still a risk.
False widows have mostly been recorded in the South of England and Wales (though I've personally never seen one) but have been recorded to have bitten and hospitalise people, whilst this maybe when out and about it has also ...
31
I regularly backpack overnight with two dogs (one is a great dane / lab mix) in the US.
A tired dog is a good dog. I have an advantage of several miles of hiking in, but you can still tire the dog out when you get there. A frisbee (flying disc) and swimming works well for my big guy (the lab mix), my smaller girl is tired from the hike itself. Whatever ...
29
Well, if you've ever tried walking in countries like Spain or Italy, we should celebrate the fact that we are spoiled for choice. You can always get by with an OS, so why would you ever choose Harvey?
First, you should understand that they offer two main series - the SuperWalker maps at 1:25k and mainly centered on popular mountains, and the newer BMC ...
25
With fog, the only thing you're losing is extended visibility. This shouldn't throw off your plan too much, unless you were navigating by watching far away landmarks.
If you were on a trail, stay on it. There's no need to wander around. If you can't see anything and traveling is becoming dangerous or you're not sure where you're going, then stop and wait ...
23
I cannot swim, so if I am expecting something to be shallow enough to stand in and then it turns out that it is much deeper then I will die.
Normally I would expect that water gradually get deeper but in the case of a steep increase in depth, like a quarry, it may not be so obvious.
I appreciate the deep water signs as well as not being dead.
22
In addition to the wildlife hazards mentioned in the other answers, swans and geese can be intimidating even if not highly hazardous - the adage about a swan's wing being able to break your arm is said to be just about true, but unlikely - and walkers occasionally report hostility or aggression from landowners who dispute their right to use a particular ...
20
If you need to walk on a compass bearing in poor visibility, stand still, and send someone out in front of you on the correct bearing for a distance (probably as far as you can see). Have them stand still, then walk to them. Repeat. It's slow going, but you will be walking on the correct bearing, and more accurate than just holding the compass out in front ...
20
This is really interesting, and I think it might be similar to why we don't generally have snow tires / chains etc as a common item here in stores. Certainly the South rarely gets snow, with Wales, The North and Scotland being more likely to get snow days.
From the MET Office:
The UK gets on average 33 days of snow fall or sleet a year (1971 - 2000). ...
20
This behavior is well-known to be honest. There's this myth that white-tail activity increases if it rains (the deer seeks shelter). However, the truth is that this doesn't really affect the daily routine. The animal just takes it as something what happens from time to time.
As you may already know the two main sense of a deer is its ability to smell and ...
19
The Scottish 'code' mentions specific rights on the 'foreshore'
What about public rights on the foreshore?
2.18 Public rights on the foreshore and in tidal waters will continue to exist. These have not been fully defined but include
shooting wildfowl, fishing for sea fish, gathering some uncultivated
shellfish, lighting fires, swimming, playing ...
17
I think your assumptions are correct. To my knowledge in a mountain environment you are quite safe as long as you follow some simple rules, which you mostly already named:
The water was not standing, i.e.
it comes from a stream that is rather fast and
the stream is big enough that it is not just a connection of puddles or ponds where the water rinses from ...
16
All land in the UK is owned by somebody, therefore, all trees and their produce (including firewood) are owned by somebody. You could be charged with theft if you take logs, kindling etc. without permission.
The Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 on 6th January 2012 discussed this very topic following the storms in the UK around that time, that left a lot of ...
16
Although I have not found IUCN Level II protected areas, there do exist areas with a higher level than national parks. So as regards are there at least areas with a protection level stricter than what UK National Parks have?, the answer is yes.
Within England, there are National Nature Reserves. According to Protected Planet, those are protected at IUCN ...
15
There's a decent thread discussing this issue over at BPL. Based on that and similar discussions, my suggestions would be as follows:
Cover the floor of the tent with a tarp or similar material. While the flooring will probably be fine, this will provide additional protection (and simplify cleanup if there's mud involved). (When wild camping you can ...
15
I think the main difference is probably in British vs American (/rest of the world) English. Fell is a particularly British term referring to areas such as the Lake district that does not really have a direct equivalent in many other places.
Following from this in the UK there is the Fell runners association, whereas in the US the equivalent would be the ...
15
One thing not yet mentioned is quickness and ease of rescue.
In my younger years, I was a trained lifeguard, and though my certification is long expired, I remember most of the concepts.
A struggling swimmer on the surface is one thing, but a swimmer that has been witnessed going down, or worse, reported missing by a companion, is quite another. For such ...
14
That's not a lizard that's a smooth newt.
Source
None of the lizards in the UK look anything like that, and the tail and lines are what I am basing my identification off of.
Also see Attracting British Amphibians to your Water Garden and Getting to know your newts.
13
In general the British Isles are very safe. Most paths are well marked, dangerous areas are also marked off, and there are no large predators or other animals that are a serious threat to humans.
Wildlife
The other answer already covered this well.
Essentially there are no animals in the British isles that are deliberately dangerous to you, although there ...
13
A path indication on the map means that when the mapper mapped it there was physically a path on the ground. It gives no indication as to who is or is not allowed to use that path.
The brown background indicates "access land". You can walk on this land subject to some restrictions. This applies regardless of whether there happens to be a path. "access land" ...
13
It will depend on whereabouts along the Thames you live but there are many canoe and kayak clubs and water-based outdoor recreation centres around. It is possible to get into it without any training but that's not advisable. Most clubs or centres will have some kind of beginner classes. Just do some searches.
Canoes and kayaks don't need to be licensed but ...
13
I've used OS 1:25k and 1:50k extensively in the UK. I also have a little experience of using 1:40k Harveys maps (Lake district, for mountain marathons).
I have been impressed with the Harveys: in detail as well as scale they sit nicely in between the two OS scales. So you get very detailed contours (nearly as much as the OS 1:25k), but less of the clutter ...
13
Its a combination of the male badgers out looking for mates,
Springtime is the most perilous time for wild animals, says Whelan. “A lot of male badgers are killed in spring because they’re out looking for females.” It is more of a problem if a female is killed: “If around four or five female badgers are killed in a particular area, it can significantly ...
12
The bottom line is there is always SOME risk. Whether to take that risk or not is your choice.
Fast running + isolated + high elevation = prettttty low risk.
With that said the biggest concern is, unless you are drinking right from the source, you have no idea what has happened upstream from you. There could be a dead animal snagged in the stream, animal ...
12
A list of changes to the Munro list and database of Munros and tops can be found at The Database of British and Irish hills.
The list is maintained by the Scottish Mountaineering club (SMC) and is published in the SMC Journal. As far as I am aware, an update is only published when there is a change to the list. This is normally because of new survey data ...
12
From gov.uk you can hunt the following legally:
Birds
You don’t need a licence to hunt:
game birds, eg pheasants and grouse
quarry birds and certain wild birds, eg moorhens and woodcock
certain waterfowl, eg some ducks and geese
Deer
You don’t need a licence to hunt deer in open season. Open season varies by region and species.
...
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