We don't need a forest. We need a corner.
When people hear "forest school", they often picture ancient woodland, purpose-built shelters and a site set up for education. That's not what we're looking for.
Routes to the Wild is a mobile forest school. We bring everything with us and take everything away. What we need from a landowner is simply permission to use a patch of outdoor space for a few hours at a time.
If you have a field edge, a spare corner of a recreation ground, an orchard, a churchyard extension, a scrubby bit nobody uses, or a small copse, it's worth a conversation.
The essentials
What "suitable" actually means
Enough space for a small group.
Roughly the size of a tennis court is plenty. A group is typically 8–12 children plus adults, and we work in one compact area rather than roaming.
Some natural features.
A few trees, a hedge line, long grass, a log pile or a boundary of bramble all count. Even one good tree makes a difference. Manicured grass on its own is workable, but a rougher, less-tended patch is better for us and easier for you.
Somewhere to park and unload.
A gateway or verge within a short walk of the space, for one car.
Reasonable ground.
Not permanently waterlogged and not a steep slope. Ordinary muddy is fine — mud is part of the point.
A safe boundary.
Ideally set back from roads and deep or fast water. If it isn't fenced, we mark the working area ourselves with rope and flags.
That's it.
No fuss required
What we don't need
- –A building, shelter or shed
- –Toilets on site (we use nearby facilities or a portable option)
- –Mains water or electricity
- –Any groundworks, paths or permanent changes to the land
- –A fire pit built in advance (fires are optional, contained and only ever with your agreement)
- –The land to be "educational" in any formal sense
Nothing is left on site between sessions. We work to leave-no-trace principles and photograph the area at the start and end of each visit.
Handled for you
What we bring
- ✓Full public liability insurance (certificate available on request)
- ✓Written risk assessments for the site and every activity
- ✓A qualified, DBS-checked and first-aid-trained leader
- ✓All equipment, tools, materials and shelter
- ✓Booking, safeguarding, parent communication and session management handled entirely by us
The upside
What you get
- ✓A hire fee for each session or block of sessions, agreed in advance
- ✓Children from the community spending time in your space and learning to care for it
- ✓No ongoing commitment — start with a single trial session
- ✓No impact on how you use the land the rest of the time
Simple steps
How it usually works
- 1
We visit for a short walk-round together to look at the space.
- 2
We write a site risk assessment and share it with you.
- 3
We agree days, times and a hire fee in a simple written agreement.
- 4
We run a trial session. If it works for everyone, we continue.
Get in touch
Not sure if yours counts?
Send us a photo and a rough location. We'll tell you honestly within a couple of days whether it would work.