Naturism in United Kingdom

Public Nudity Laws

Comprehensive guide to public nudity laws, regulations, and penalties

Topless Sunbathing Laws

Is it legal to sunbathe topless? Country-by-country legal guide

Indecent Exposure Laws

What constitutes indecent exposure and the penalties in each country

Age Restrictions

Legal age requirements for nudity, naturist venues, and events

Photography Laws

Legal requirements for photographing nude subjects and naturist activities

Naturist Venue Regulations

Legal requirements for nudist resorts, clubs, and venues

Event Permits & Licensing

Requirements for organizing nudist events and gatherings

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.

Budleigh Salterton is a small, quiet town on the East Devon stretch of the Jurassic Coast, between Exmouth and Sidmouth. Its main beach is a long, steep bank of large rounded pebbles backed by red sandstone cliffs, and the far western end, away from the town, has long been used for nude bathing. East Devon District Council's own beach page says there is a naturist area at the far western end, marked by signs, and a council sign reading in effect 'nude bathing beyond this point' stands roughly 300 metres west of the beach café. Naturists often settle a little before the sign, but British Naturism advises waiting until you reach it. British Naturism calls it probably the most public naturist beach in Devon; walking further west gives more space. The pebbles are big and uncomfortable, so bring sturdy footwear and something thick to lie on; small patches of sand can show at low tide. The beach shelves steeply, so swimmers are quickly out of their depth, and the red cliffs make the water less clear than further west. The cliffs give some shelter from northerly winds. On weekends couples, families and solo visitors of all ages come; on weekdays and out of season the crowd is mostly older.

Crakaig Beach is on the east coast of Sutherland at Loth, a few miles north of Brora, on the stretch of the A9 between Brora and Helmsdale. It is a remote sandy beach with dunes behind it, near a small river mouth. In 2006 the landowner set aside part of the beach for naturists. Several guides describe the naturist section as running from the river mouth to Lothbeg Point, and call it the only officially designated naturist beach on mainland Scotland. A walking-club guide warns that those claims may just repeat one another. A small campsite next to the beach takes caravans and tents. It is normally a clothed site but opens to naturists for one week around World Naturist Day in early June. It has basic toilets and showers. A 2006 visitor found midges no problem and the sea warm enough to swim. One guide recommends swimming near the river mouth, while a review calls the beach less good for swimming. Brora has shops for supplies. Information is sparse and much of it dates from 2006, so check the current arrangements, for example with the campsite, before you travel.

Holkham Bay on the north Norfolk coast, just west of Wells-next-the-Sea, is a huge, flat sweep of fine pale sand backed by pine woods and dunes within the Holkham National Nature Reserve on the Holkham Estate. Naturists use the western end of the beach. The current arrangement allows nudity on the beach only, below the high-tide line, and not in the dunes; British Naturism advises staying at least 100 m from the dune edge. The beach slopes so gently that the sea goes out a very long way at low tide, so BN suggests visiting when low tide falls in the early afternoon. It is open to the cold north wind, so a windbreak is almost essential. Winter storm surges in 2013 and 2014 washed away the front row of dunes, and the recovering marram is fragile, which is one reason the dunes are off limits. Wardens and police patrol from time to time. Regulars include couples and families, and the beach is clean and uncrowded once you walk west.

Leysdown East is the naturist beach at the eastern end of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, about 2 km south-east of Leysdown-on-Sea on the way to Shell Ness, facing the outer Thames Estuary. It is one of the few UK beaches described by British Naturism as official: the naturist area, about 250 m long, is marked by signs and starts roughly 100 m past a row of old wooden chalets east of Leysdown's main town beach. The beach is fairly wide coarse sand and crushed shell, with muddy patches in places, and is not greatly affected by the tide. Most people settle in the grassy dunes behind it, which extend about 50 m inland and have hollows that give shelter from the estuary wind. The water shelves gently and is not rough, so it suits less confident swimmers, although being estuary water it is never clear. The area beyond, toward Shell Ness, is part of the Swale nature reserve and is good for birdwatching. Access has become harder: the beach car park was dug up in 2021 and part of the coast road is private, so a walk is now needed.

Official naturist beach in Snowdonia National Park.

A naturist campsite at Creacombe Parsonage Farm near Rackenford, roughly halfway between Tiverton and South Molton in mid Devon. Directories describe a level 13-acre site with pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes and a few mobile homes for hire. Guests can use a pool with countryside views, a sauna, a hot tub and an indoor social area with bar and games. Nudity is required in the pool, sauna and hot tub.

A members' naturist club in eight acres of Kent woodland between Maidstone and Sittingbourne. The grounds have sunbathing lawns, a clubhouse, a swimming pool and a sauna, and the club describes its atmosphere as family-oriented. Like most British landed clubs it is run by and for its members, so visits are arranged with the club rather than offered as a commercial day-pass venue.

Apollo sits in seven acres of Sussex countryside about eight miles from Brighton. It has a heated outdoor pool, a sauna, a large clubhouse and terrace, a barbecue and campfire area, games courts and a children's play area. Visitors can camp on tent and caravan pitches with electric hook-ups or rent the guest chalet, and the club welcomes first-time naturists as well as experienced ones.

A family membership club in 4.5 acres of woodland near Billericay in Essex. Facilities include a heated swimming pool, a sauna, a pavilion and clubhouse with kitchens, a children's play area, and courts for miniten and boules. Social events run year-round in the pavilion. The club does not take casual visitors: British Naturism members may visit by prior arrangement and must show their BN card.

A member-run naturist club in the Calder Valley near Halifax that attracts singles, couples and families from across the UK. The grounds include a clubhouse, a swimming pool and a sauna, and there are pitches for caravans, campervans and tents as well as recently added camping pods. A regular programme of social evenings, from quizzes to live entertainment, keeps the club busy through the season.

A members' club in 4.5 acres of semi-natural ancient woodland inside the New Forest National Park, near Ringwood. Facilities include a clubhouse with conservatory and wood-burning stove, a wood-fired sauna, a heated outdoor pool, petanque terrains and two miniten courts. Founded in the early 1960s, it is family friendly and open all year to members, with winter sauna evenings.

A small, friendly naturist swim club in the Barton on Sea and New Milton area that meets once a month at a leisure centre with a kidney-shaped pool, a steam room, a sauna and a jacuzzi. Besides the swims it runs social events through the year, such as a skittles evening and a Christmas dinner. Visitors pay a little more than members per session.

A naturist swim and sauna club using the YMCA pool at The Eagles, off Breck Road in Poulton-le-Fylde, about four miles from Blackpool. Sessions are usually on the first Saturday of the month from 7pm to 9pm and are open to members and genuine naturist visitors. The pool is ten minutes from M55 junction 3 or a short walk from Poulton railway station.

Blackthorns has occupied Pippin Wood near Sharnbrook, north of Bedford, since 1969. The 6.5-hectare semi-ancient woodland site has sun lawns and clearings, a swimming pool, courts for miniten, petanque, badminton and volleyball, a crazy-golf course and a pavilion used for quizzes, dances and barbecues. A static caravan can be hired, and visitors may bring tents or touring caravans. Holiday Week in early August is its busiest time.