Ben Gray

Ben has been exploring and adventuring since a very young age, growing up in the wilds of the North Yorkshire coastline and moors. This led him to a career as a TV cameraman and director, working as a documentary film maker in some of the most remote and beautiful places on the planet where his expedition skills were developed and honed in many different challenging environments. During these travels, he spent time with various indigenous communities including the Ojibway in Ontario and the San in Namibia, enabling him to go deeper with his nature connection and spiritual practice.

Alongside his filming work, Ben trained in bushcraft with Ray Mears and later joined the staff of Woodlore where he taught a range of wilderness skills at the highest level. He later joined Frontier Bushcraft with Paul Kirtley where he continues his outdoor training.

In 2018, Ben took part in a year long nature immersion with The Old Way, discovering more about what it means to be indigenous and living in tribe in the context of Britain. He is a practical person who is passionate about reviving ritual and ceremony in his homeland, having seen the importance of both during his various journeying. Ben joined the Embercombe Team as Site Manager in 2022.

What does Embercombe mean to you?

I’m passionate about rediscovery our lost indigeny and specifically, what this looks like in the context of the UK. I believe in reviving our traditional ways of living that are sorely needed in these times of huge challenges. Having a deep relationship with nature, with spirit, is our birth rite, and it’s vitally important for us to reconnect with nature, to remember who we are as a species and how to live in right relation with our planet and each other.