Location
United Kingdom
Status
Officially Designated
Suitable for
Families and adults
Terrain
Shingle
Best season
June to September
About Brighton Naturist Beach
Brighton's naturist beach was the first public nude beach in a major British resort. The council approved a 200-yard trial stretch in August 1979, and it opened on 1 April 1980 as the Cliff Bathing Beach. It is at the eastern end of the city's seafront at Black Rock, below Madeira Drive and just west of Brighton Marina, about a mile east of Brighton Palace Pier. Signs mark where the naturist section starts, and banks of shingle have been heaped up to screen it from the promenade. Like the rest of Brighton's seafront, it is steeply shelving shingle and small pebbles, with a little sand at the water's edge at low tide. There is no shade. Because it sits in the middle of a busy city, it is probably the easiest naturist beach in the UK to reach, but also one of the most public. Tourists walk past, and people sometimes watch from the promenade, so naturist guides suggest it may not suit a first-timer. The sea is generally clean, though water quality can drop after heavy rain when storm drains overflow.
Getting there
From Brighton station, walk about 25 minutes down to the seafront and east past the Palace Pier along Madeira Drive. In summer you can take the Volk's Electric Railway from near the pier to Black Rock station and walk a few minutes back west. Local buses run along Marine Parade above. Madeira Drive has pay-and-display parking, and the Marina multi-storey offers several free hours, with steps down to the beach. The last stretch means crossing the Volk's Railway tracks and walking on shingle, so step-free wheelchair access is not possible.
What visitors say
Visitors appreciate how easy it is to reach from the city, and the long history and screening shingle banks, and it feels safer to many than remote beaches because of the people around. The main complaints are onlookers, groups of loud young men, and people walking along the waterline to stare, especially on hot weekends. Others say on quieter days it is relaxed and mixed. Common tips are to bring sandals and a cushioned mat for the pebbles, go early or on weekdays, and use the Volk's Railway for an easy approach.
Summarised in our own words from public reviews and guides listed under Sources.
Amenities
Legal context
The council set this stretch aside for naturists in 1979, and it opened in 1980. Visit Brighton describes it as officially known as the Cliff Bathing Beach, with signs marking the naturist section. Nudity elsewhere in England is legal unless it is intended to cause alarm or distress, but here it is explicitly expected within the signed area. Guides ask visitors to report voyeurs or inappropriate behaviour to the police.
Naturism at Brighton Naturist Beach sits under United Kingdom's rules for officially designated nude beaches — explicit protection inside the marked area.
Full country law: United Kingdom public nudity guide.
Naturist status confirmed against an official source on 24 October 2026.
Location
View on interactive map
Approx. 50.8197, -0.1181
Visitor tips
- 1 Official designation: nudity is protected inside the marked area.
- 2 Towel, water, sunscreen. Sit on your own towel.
- 3 No photos without clear consent.
- 4 Check access, tides, and parking before you go.
- 5 House rules and local custom can be stricter than the law.
More in United Kingdom
Frequently asked questions
Where is Brighton's nude beach?
At Black Rock on Madeira Drive, at the eastern end of the seafront between the Palace Pier and Brighton Marina. Signs mark where the naturist section begins.
Is it an official naturist beach?
Yes. The council designated it in 1979 and it opened on 1 April 1980 as the UK's first public naturist beach in a major resort.
How do I get there without a car?
Walk about a mile east from the Palace Pier, or in summer take the Volk's Electric Railway to Black Rock and walk a few minutes back.
Is it sand or pebbles?
Shingle and small pebbles, with a little sand at low tide. Bring sandals and something soft to sit on.
Sources
Important
Beach status changes. Verify current conditions before you go. This is guidance, not legal advice.
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