Frequently Asked Questions

about Bridgewood

What is Bridgewood?: Bridgewood is a 19-acre woodland owned by Tanos. It has a mixture of tall trees and dense undergrowth, and is completely level. In forestry terms, it is being managed for conservation and wildlife. In BDSM terms, it provides a private, open air space where BDSM is accepted and where the rules and social conventions recognise D/s.
Where is Bridgewood?: Bridgewood is in North Shropshire, about 15 miles west of Stafford and the M6. It is around 45 minutes drive from Birmingham city centre, 90 minutes from Manchester, 2 hours from Bristol, 2 hours 15 minutes from Leeds, and 2 hours 45 minutes from central London.
How private is it?: There are no public rights of way or access, and the wood is surrounded by ditches and streams. The interior of the wood is well screened by an understorey of smaller hazel trees and bushes.
How can I visit Bridgewood?: To get an invitation, new people need to be vouched for by an existing Passholder in a memo to Tanos on IC. If you have a specific Event Day in mind, the memo needs to be at least a week before. Once you've visited the wood, you'll be able to apply for your own renewable Annual Pass. Passholders will also be able to join Bridgewood's real-life network on IC, and that may help you find Passholders you already know well enough to vouch for you.
What does vouching for me entail?: It means they know you beyond the public face you present at events etc, so they have some idea of your underlying character. For example, that you have been in a relationship with them, or you know them well enough to be welcome at their home. Some of their reputation is at stake in vouching for you, so they're entitled to be cautious.
How much is admission?: Annual Passes are free and allow you to visit on any Event Day. Admission on Event Days is £5 per person, and £10 per car.
When are Event Days?: They're advertised directly to Passholders, and there are one or two of them a month. One of them is likely to be the Saturday before the 3rd Sunday of the month (the day before the BBB.)
What are the rules?: The definitive set of rules are the Byelaws, with a mixture of good scene etiquette (respecting other people's property) and some Bridgewood-specific rules (for example, about collars.)
Are cameras allowed?: In general photography isn't allowed on Event Days. Exceptions can be made for photographs in a single place, but you need to discuss this with Tanos first. What we don't want is people walking around the site with cameras and making other people worried about privacy. Please contact Tanos if you're interested in using the wood for a dedicated photoshoot day.
What is the dress code?: On the way into the wood, please dress as you would on a trip out to a country park or forest. Inside the wood, there is a no dress-code. At all. We ask submissives in relationships to wear a visible neck collar owned by their dominant, but this is not a requirement. We don't recommend wearing expensive fetish outfits, especially footwear, as they're liable to get scratched by bushes, brambles etc. Combats and army boots are one good outdoor look for dominants.
What facilities are there?: At the moment (August 2009), there is car parking, a toilet in a shed, and an area with picnic tables. For BDSM, there is a Ladder Rack, whipping frame, oil drum, and a triangle of growing trunks that are suitable for suspension or St Andrew's Cross style scenes.
What is the toilet like?: It's a composting toilet in a small shed, with a wash hand basin, soap, toilet paper, and a bin.
What is the car access and parking like?: Access is via roadways surfaced with hardcore, rather like the temporary car parks you get in cities on the site of a demolished building. There is parking for a dozen or so cars, and we encourage car sharing.
Any other advice?: Imagine you're going out to a Forestry Commission property for the day: sun-tan, bug spray, water, suitable footwear.
What is the weather like?: North Shropshire is one of the driest areas of England outside the South East, being sheltered by the Welsh mountains. The wood is usually slightly warmer than the surrounding countryside, and very sheltered from any breeze. (The MET Office West Midlands forecast is useful for short term forecasts. Bridgewood is southwest of Stoke-on-Trent on that map.)
What wildlife is there?: You're likely to see pheasants, woodcocks, and ducks, and occasionally hares, rabbits, foxes, and buzzards. You may hear woodpeckers, and see badger and deer tracks.