You should be able to do what you want in your own wood

While you are working on your wood or operating a charcoal kiln you can live on site in a none fixed structure with wheels. The law is more sensible in Scotland with Hutters Rights. In Scotland a structure up to 30 square metres to live in is okay without planning if you are working full time in your woods as a main income.

Summary - This video clarifies the legal possibilities for building or performing activities in UK woodland without requiring full planning permission. The core principle is that these rights are generally granted only when the activity is for genuine forestry management; using the land for residential living or purely for leisure is typically prohibited.
Here are 15 things you can legally do or build in your woodland:
1/. Beehives/Apiary:
No planning permission is needed for keeping bees or setting down hives (02:01).
2/. Planting/Coppicing/Hedges:
You can shape and thicken your wood through planting or coppicing without permission, provided you follow any Tree Preservation Orders or felling license requirements (02:42).
3/. Access Structures:
Small, simple items like stiles, plank footbridges, and short boardwalks for forest access are permitted (03:24).
4/. Wildlife Hides:
Modest structures for observing wildlife are allowed, as long as they aren't equipped for overnight accommodation (04:08).
5/. High Seats:
These are permitted as tools for managing deer populations (04:53).
6/. Gates:
Installing gates for land management is generally allowed, provided they aren't on a public highway (05:34).
7/. Fencing:
Stock and deer fencing up to 2m high (away from roads) is usually permitted, though protected landscapes may restrict this (06:17).
8/.Wildlife Ponds:
Creating a small pond for biodiversity is allowed, but be mindful of water abstraction and reservoir regulations (07:07).
9/. Log Stores:
Open-sided structures for seasoning your own timber are permitted (07:57).
10/. Charcoal Kilns:
Small-scale, temporary processing of your own wood into charcoal is permitted (08:41).
11/. Hard Standings:
Constructing a base for timber processing is allowed if it remains a functional forestry yard (09:27).
12/. Equipment Shelters:
Simple, open-fronted pole barns for storing forestry gear require prior notification to the council (10:10).
13/. Access Tracks:
Building private forestry tracks is permitted, subject to the prior-notification procedure (11:03).
14/. Temporary Caravan:
You cannot live in the wood, but a forestry worker may stay in a caravan temporarily while actively carrying out forestry operations (11:48).
15/. Forestry Buildings:
You can build sheds, workshops, or offices if they are reasonably necessary for forestry, are not dwellings, and have received council approval via the prior-notification procedure (12:54).
16/. Camping:
You may camp in your woods for 28 days a year.

Just bought 4acres adjoining my house, been looking after a bit of it for years but now own it all and most of it hasn’t been touched in years so a road and fallen tree clearing is my first job. Also have 2 natural springs and a ditch leading to a culvert which blocked up last year and ducks moved in so I’ll be making an actual pond down there. Have a footpath along it which has no fences or gates so need to erect those. Over 100 protected tree which need maintenance. Also want to clear a large area install deer fencing and plant a wild garden about 0.5 acre with 2-3 beehives in it.

How would they even know you live in the caravan you parked in the equipment shed? If it's in the thickets where nobody can even get to, through the fences.

Thanks for this info. You showed a shipping container but, unless I missed it, didn't mention its acceptability. I am considering a 30 foot high top in NATO olive drab to be placed very much out of sight for machinery storage.

Thank You ... 👍🕯👍...

Check out mellow croft in mid Wales. Just look out for very corrupt council and high up police.. make sure there are no wind farm plans next to your woods and people who have shares.

You can camp in your woods for 28 days a year.

Love the cover for machinery what about theft

you haven't said anything about camping for a couple of days.

To be honest most of these rules are common sense ..

We're building our house in a woodland... legally 🤔

I want to build an asylum seeker accommodation on my four acres,  will this be a problem?

long story short, you can do f'all except pay taxes and shut up