CO Event at Butterfly World
Naturism and Inland Boating
CO Event at Butterfly World-By Milfmog
Last Saturday there was a naturist evening held at Butterfly World, by the M1 / M25 junction just north of London, Arranged by Suzanne Piper of Shabden / Naturist Life. The event was due to start at 6pm, an hour after the site closes to the general public, and last until 9pm. However a few days ahead it was announced that we’d be able to enter from 5pm but would have to remain dressed until the public had all left site. Arriving just before 5pm, I paid my fiver and wandered through to see what was on offer. The weather was not particularly naturist friendly with air temperature at around 15C and a fresh breeze making it feel cooler. Fine for me, but I suspect it will have put a number of people off. I had a look at the site plan and decided that the best option was probably to work my way down through the designer gardens area, these are screened from one another by six foot high willow screens and so were out of the wind. I hoped that by the time I got to the end of these the wind would have dropped a little before I investigated the rest of the site. I had taken my camera and so wandered slowly down the hill taking pictures as I went. I was asked several times by staff it I was there for “the evening event” before the OK to strip message went out. It did not take long to get rid of the unneeded fabric (it went straight in my bag) but the sandals stayed on as the footpaths are surfaced with small sharp stones and were not comfortable on my delicate little tootsies.
This was one of my favourite formal gardens…
…and contained some stunning flowers…
…as well as some that were not quite what they seemed from a distance
There was a bit of a crowd forming in one area, so I wandered over to see why. It turned out that a photographer for Naturist Life magazine was there with one of his models. I did not bother to stay, instead I took the opportunity to enjoy the small gardens with fewer people in them. It was about this point that I was accosted with a “It’s Ian isn’t it?” Who was this? Not a face I knew, though it seems I’m more recognisable than I had realised. It turned out to be, Keith, the NC member who started this thread. It was good to meet another forum member and while we were chatting we were joined by nib.
After a while we each headed off in different directions, I continued my viewing of the designer gardens…
…taking a self portrait in this “Inside out” garden…
…and a less obvious self portrait here:
This exhibit made me wonder whether they’d always known we’d be along to visit:
The area by the British Butterfly Garden reminded me of nothing so much as a ruined hobbit hole
This area was fascinating with all sorts of odd bits of junk set into the walls and a couple of serious spider webs across exit points.
From there I decided to do the “Antenna walk” marked on the site layout. This goes along the top on one raised earth bank and returns along another and offers long views over the surrounding area. I couldn’t help wondering what residents in the visible houses would think seeing naked folks ambling around. While I was out wandering there was a light shower of rain and I suddenly realised that I had the place pretty much to myself, everyone else seemed to have disappeared inside. I did spot nib and one other person out, but that was it.
After extending my wanderings to take in the globe in the centre of the proboscis walk and the giant ant…
…I felt that the butterfly house was a good option; it’s heated and that shower had been on the cool side, especially with the breeze still blowing. Eventually (late in 2011 apparently) there will be a huge biome to house the butterflies, but at present they are in an aging wooden greenhouse. Initially I was disappointed by how few butterflies there were, but as I got used to what I was looking for I found more and more hidden in bushes, hanging under leaves and some wonderfully disguised, like this Indian Leaf butterfly.
(Yes, that really is a butterfly)
At one point, one of the larger examples landed on the back of my calf. It was a very strange sensation. It was so light that I could hardly detect its weight, but it was hanging on with its feet and they pinched the skin enough to be uncomfortable. The best way I can describe the sensation is that it felt like a holly leaf being held against my skin; a very peculiar sensation. Had I not been in the butterfly house I’d probably have swept it off with my hand, fortunately I was able to resist the instinctive reaction of slapping the critter.
My next stop was the giants garden. This is an area with assorted “normal” garden things made very large. I rather liked this part though it was perhaps the least original or informative part of the site.
The café was open and a pot of tea to accompany a rather good vegetable curry seemed in order. The curry was good, though, like all vegetarian food, it would have been improved by a side order of steak.
Once I’d overcome the immediate threat of implosion, I had another quick wander around the site, including the gift shop (some nice stuff, but quite of lot of expensive tat) and then it was time to head off.
All in all, a fun evening and well worth the admission fee of £5. It’s all a bit new still and as well as the missing biome some other parts are not finished. Several of the designer gardens are still work in progress and the main areas of the site are yet to develop their groundcover of wild plants. I will undoubtedly visit the site again, but probably not for a year or two. Somehow it did not have quite the relaxed feel of Abbey House Gardens and it is a shame that the site was exclusively open to the naturists rather than being a regular day with an unusual dress code. For those who are within striking distance, there is another naturist evening on 13 August 2011, details here.
Everyone was invited back to Spielplatz (just a matter of yards away) where the bar was open and the sauna hot, however after a week away from home working I decided that I ought to head back and spend some time with Mrs Milfmog. Maybe I’ll get to Spielplatz another day.
Have fun,
Ian.
Naturism and Inland Boating-By JohnGW
As well as naturism I also enjoy boating on the inland waterways of Great Britain. This piece is based on a blog of my 2010 trip on the River Thames and the Oxford Canal. It describes some of the highlights and difficulties of combining these two enthusiasms.
Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:08 pm
Not much naturism so far because the canals and river are busier than usual with the National Waterways Festival being at Beale Park near Reading on the Thames.
Thursday night we moored up at the Black Horse, Greenford which gave me no naturism outside the boat but on Friday night we moored up at the bottom of Hanwell flight of locks which allowed me a naked hour or so this morning cleaning the brass and wiping down the outside of the boat with only a few joggers and cyclists passing. It being in London nobody bothered with eye contact and nothing was said.
Sun Aug 22, 2010 4:11 pm
Last
night we are moored up on Desborough Island (between Walton on Thames
and Shepperton) and I got a couple of hours early morning naturism
pottering about the boat and cooking the Sunday breakfast croissants,
including meeting an early angler while I was outside changing the
gas cylinder.
This was followed by a good day's textile boating through Staines, Runnymede and Windsor and got much farther than expected - now moored up opposite Windsor Racecourse Yacht Basin near Eton College Boathouse.
It being a busy Sunday evening there is no chance of the naturist barbecue I was hoping for.
Wed Aug 25, 2010 4:02 pm
Yesterday
lunchtime we decided that the Westfield Farm mooring was an ideal
place to enjoy a lazy afternoon barbecue before the forecast wet
weather set in. Unfortunately the river was too busy for a naked one,
but it was still thoroughly enjoyable.
I
did not expect to be disturbed by dog walkers this morning because of
the sheep in the field and the distance from the nearest road access.
I was therefore surprised by a cyclist dog walker who arrived
silently and before his dog. As usual, I got no adverse reaction and
I continued to leather off the outside of the boat, clean the outside
brass and take in the main mooring lines ready to start before
getting dressed.
After a good morning's boating we got to a planned secluded island mooring for a late lunch but the heavy rain set in so we lit the coal stove for comfort. As we had plenty of hot water I managed a naked swim in the rain before my shower and remained naked for the rest of the day.
Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:41 pm
We are moored up on a sunny afternoon (for once) on the islands above Moulsford railway bridge and I intend to get some skinny-dipping as soon as the party of canoeists from Moulsford Preparatory School has cleared off.
Tue
Aug 31, 2010 5:16 pm
I did get my skinny-dip followed by sitting naked on the counter, reading in the warm sunshine, but we have lit the stove again as it will be cold tonight. About half a dozen boats came round the backwater were we are moored while I was sitting naked in the sun, plus one while I was drying myself out there after my swim.
Thu Sept 02, 2010 2:04 pm
I
didn't bother with a swim Wednesday morning as there was no hot water
for a warm shower, but I did get some morning naked pottering before
breakfast.
Thu Sept 02, 2010 2:25 pm
Wednesday afternoon we moored up on the water meadows above Day's lock (near Dorchester) and I had a few pleasant naked hours reading in the sunshine until another boat moored up a little way along. After that I contented myself with wearing my wrap for our evening barbecue.
This morning was a perfect naturist morning - no other boats awake yet and a glorious sunrise.
I did all my boat chores naked and had a swim, partially drying myself outside on the counter before having a warm shower.
As
a bonus, one stretch of the river was quiet enough for five minutes
or so of naked steering, which makes up for the public location where
we are now moored.
Mon Sept 06, 2010 6:04 am
Friday
we moored on meadows west of Oxford and I was able to get an evening
and morning skinny-dip and Saturday we moored near the hamlet of
Chimney. Rather frustrating as it would have been a perfect naked
barbecue location if it was not for the proximity of the busy Thames
Path. However, I did get an evening and morning swim, with the
evening one witnessed by passing walkers. My wife reckons that they
were aware of my nakedness, but nothing was said.
Sunday morning things were quiet enough to do all the outside boat chores naked again, in spite of the other boats moored within sight across the river.
Mon Sept 06, 2010 10:48 am
Yesterday we moored up at Radcot Bridge for Sunday lunch in the Swan - and stayed overnight.
Too close to the road for any real naturism, but I did sneak this picture in spite of the rush-hour traffic.
Tue Sept 07, 2010 5:48 pm
We are moored up on the meadows between Radcot and Rushey locks, where I did a bit of work cleaning up and painting some rust spots on the roof - not naked, but with my boiler suit totally unbuttoned (and of course nothing underneath it).
After that I managed a nude swim and a closer look at a pill-box on the other side of the river.
Wed Sept 08, 2010 7:32 pm
This
morning I fully intended another skinny-dip, but I bottled out with
the inclement weather and actually got dressed before breakfast
(almost unprecedented) in warm clothing before lighting the stove for
a bit of extra warmth. With the inclement weather we delayed setting
off until boredom set in, and I then added a fleece to my garments in
order to stay warm at the tiller.
After
lunch the weather changed completely and we moored up early to enjoy
some relaxed sunshine and for me to potter naked about the boat
before a 20 minute swim and a naked evening barbecue.
When I was getting the barbecue out I had, as usual, carefully checked that I was out of view of the boat moored near us, but another boat came round the bend just as I emerged from behind the shelter of our boat. I held the barbecue in front of me but I am pretty certain that I was too late. Anyway the lady steerer gave us a friendly greeting as she passed.
Thu Sept 09, 2010 3:05 pm
Quite an eventful boating day today, with some interesting naturism thrown in.
Overnight, the river dropped significantly and when I woke in the middle of the night for my usual post-alcoholic pee the boat had a significant list from being aground. It was therefore out in the starlight slackening the ropes and heaving the boat away from the bank (naked of course).
First
thing in the morning the river had dropped again so more drastic
action was needed. Sounding the bottom with the boathook showed me
that there was better water against the next bit of bank, but that
the boat would be better pointing the other way, so I untied the
stern line and poled the boat round on the bow rope, ending up with
the boat slightly aground at the bow but the stern in comfortably
deeper water.
While I was doing this the crew of the boat moored opposite 50 yards downstream emerged from their cabin and got a complete uninterrupted view, which I could do nothing about. My wife tells me they gave us a strange look as the started off, but whether that was because of my nudity or the fact that we had moved the boat and it was not now snug against the bank, we will never know.
The sunny morning was so inviting we later had breakfast outside in the cockpit with me still naked.
Lunchtime, I decided that I needed to check the draught of the boat and mark the boat-hook properly so I stripped of and got into the hoggin. My wife was just passing me the measuring tape and my spectacles when a passing boat stopped to offer assistance in case we were in trouble. I don't know how clear the water was.
Fri Sept 10, 2010 3:27 pm
No
naturism today, either - unless you count the usual naked inside the
boat in the morning and polishing the brass before setting out. We
came off the Thames this morning via Duke's Cut and are now moored up
at Kirtlington Quarry. Unfortunately, I do not foresee any morning
naturist walks that I have enjoyed on previous visits, given the
weather forecast and the number of other boats moored up here.
Why do I have to have two such incompatible enthusiasms - canal boating and naturism?
Sat Sept 11, 2010 4:33 pm
A
little bit of naturism this morning when I decided to cycle up to
Kirtlington village shop for a newspaper. In spite of the other boats
on the mooring having dogs to exercise I managed to find enough
seclusion behind trees and bushes to stay naked while getting my
cycle out and cycling up through the quarry country park.
In spite of the weather forecast, the weather turned out to be perfect for naturism, but a sunny Saturday afternoon on the canal is far too busy.
_____________________________________
This
boat trip continued for another three weeks but a combination of poor
weather and the busyness of the canals prevented any significant
amounts of naturism apart from early morning chores like brass
cleaning and ash pan emptying into the hedge.
I hope this piece has given you a picture of what can be enjoyed in the way of inland boating and naturism.
Rivers are generally quite rewarding as they often snake through relatively deserted stretches of countryside but canals were built as the motorways of the early industrial revolution from town to town with commerce located alongside, now converted to desirable residences. The only way to canal boat naked is to do it in June/July between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. on lengths of canal which have been carefully reconnoitred.
A Mid Summers Nights Dream-By Mark
Here’s a story of an epic 2010 summer night walk that I had planned for quite some time. I will try to get the feeling, sense of freedom, achievement and simple thrill of the whole journey across in words.
Starting out at 11:30pm there was still some light in the sky and with a near full moon enough light to see by in open spaces.
So the first part of the route took me, across an open field. Walking naked and carrying nothing at all I was, as planned completely free from any encumbrance and thrilled by the experience of being able to walk safely without any need to stay hidden.
One thing I hadn’t considered in a previous night time meandering was that at that time of year the vegetation had grown significantly and the field was almost waist high with tall grass and a few bunches of nettles that were relatively easy to spot as darker patches in the gently drifting sea of willowy seeds in front of me.
I had been barefoot almost all the previous week in an attempt to “toughen up” a bit for this walk and it was worthwhile, but on the first part the going was easy and the gentle brush of the grass against my skin was very pleasurable.
The dark woodland in front of me offered a few more obstacles though. Passing through some stone gate posts and what had been a soft muddy area in my previous walk was now a vast bank of knee high nettles. This demanded a reroute and standing under the dark shadow of the trees I tried to make out an alternative direction. By cutting back through the gate and following the tree line I managed to pick a way through and reached a small stream. At that time of year this was little more than a trickle. Still bathing my feet in the cool water refreshed me to move on.
Passing an area where youngsters tend to have overnight camps into the field beyond proved easy enough, but again the significant vegetation growth provided an obstacle to getting out into the field and a slight deviation to my original route was required. The difficulty under the dark trees was identifying what lay before me both on the ground underfoot and whether the vegetation was of the stinging variety!
Crossing the field towards a footpath that is well used during the day again passing through waist high grasses I reached a stile. On my previous walks this way point had marked a turning point, but on this trip it was just the end of the first stage of my journey. Looking up to the stars the Plough was watching over me as usual in our night sky, as I paused and thought about the rest of the walk.
Turning my back on the field, a woodland path that is a regular walkers route lay before me as it plunged into darkness under the trees. I know the path well, and despite a few rocks littered along its length the going underfoot is mostly packed earth. Despite that I walked carefully as in the gloom of the woodland I couldn’t make out the surface ahead of me. Feeling each footfall the ground felt deliciously cool under my bare feet and a slight breeze lifted my senses even higher as it swirled through the leaves overhead.
As this path drops down to a riverside the moonlit valley below offered an amazing view through the breaks in the trees. The light glinting off the water giving an ethereal glow to the scene. To my left a woodland animal ran off through the undergrowth. Making enough noise to wake the sleeping world. I must have got pretty close before it realised I was there. With a feeling o being part of, rather than just passing through the woodland, I smiled as what I guessed to be a badger had allowed me to get so close before it knew about me.
A bit further on and the path is met by another. Here there was enough light to see and with soft safe ground under me I walk confidently along its length towards to water side.
With little rain having fallen at that time, the usually soft path was too dry to leave bare footprints which was disappointing, but feeling the ridges left by mountain bikes and walking boots I felt utterly engaged in my nakedness in the world.
As the river flowed gently alongside this path I walked in the soft cool grass to reach a fishing spot. In a few places along here, small wooden landing of perhaps 3 feet square are placed in the bank. Sitting on one with my feet in the water, I tried to take a mental picture of the scene in front of me as I wanted to capture the memory forever in my mind. I could easily have sat there all night listening as the human world slumbered and the nocturnal living that continues without us.
But with a fair distance still to cover I made my way along the path, still reveling in the fact that I was so naked , so far from home.
Reaching a stile I used a popular path to cross two fields. The first had recently been cut and left to dry in the summer sun to provide silage feed for next winter. Another texture under my feet that I locked away in my mind for future reference. The smell of freshly cut drying grass was intense and wonderful. Right at that moment I simply wanted to lay down and cover myself in this natural goodness, to become totally immersed in the world.
The second field had remained uncut and was in full bloom with hundreds of meadow grasses. During the day it was awash with colour. Under the moon it was no less impressive as it rises uphill to a gate where I had to walk a short distance along a narrow country road. Walking up the hill, bathed in moonlight I am completely exposed to the view from the road, but seeing as there’s no one around to watch, I simply strolled up the path across the field to a five bar gate.
Resting here I look back at the distance I have just covered. No sense of time or urgency is in my mind at all as I lean back against the weathered gate. Its smooth bars pressed against my back.
Climbing over the gate, rather than using the stile 6 feet away I hopped into the road and cool tarmac replaces the soft grassland.
I quick check with my eyes and ears perceived no one approaching and I confidently walked down the middle of the lane to the stile on the other side of the road. It is only a brief stretch that takes maybe 3 minutes, but the sheer joy of walking naked down the middle of the road makes me almost laugh out loud!
The stile on the other side has a few steps as it climbs the bank off the road. There are quite often cows in this field, but none to be seen, means I have an easy walk of about 20 minutes across this field and a second before reaching my destination of a wooden bench that sits under the shade of some trees, overlooking the valley.
I made it there without incident and sitting on the bench the thought of what I have just done flooded over me. I have walked I would guess about 4 miles, but with a careful pace and frequent pauses to take it all in my initial guesstimate of 2 hours can’t be far out…. Only about 4 miles! All of it utterly bare to the world of anything other than myself. With my sense of touch, smell, sight and hearing all running at full speed I was in a heightened state of sensory input as I rested on the smooth wooden bench. My feet in the grass and the cool summer air enveloping my whole being. An owl glided silently past me only about a foot away as it scoured the undergrowth for its early morning meal and I am once again reminded that I seem to be part of the world not just another human being passing through it.
I sat with clear thoughts running through my head and everything seemed right in my personal universe. The slumbering world below me unaware of my enlightened state of mind.
So I had to decide on my return journey from there. A route, mostly by road would take me almost all the way back in probably half the time of the outbound journey, but that meant walking along the rest of the country lane I crossed, between two cottages that sit either side of it at one point to a junction with a slightly bigger road before picking up a track that cuts between a small cluster of buildings to get back into the area I started from. With no rush to end this adventure. No real desire to walk on man made surfaces for so long and to be truthful, not feeling brave enough to tackle something so exposed even at this late hour I made my return by reversing the walk I had done.
On reaching the wood before I get back to the field that holds my clothes by the stone wall I am stopped from crossing into the woodland by a bank of nettles, which I hadn’t noticed on the way out. Had I simply walked through them? Its seemed so, but I don’t remember being stung as I did so. Perhaps the feel of everything else had overcome that insignificant issue. Either way I wasn’t prepared to do it again and a detour took me around the woodland perimeter to find another way in.
Getting back to my clothes, there is a some light in the sky and as I get home its 3:45.
The following morning I had a few scratches on my legs and my feet felt sensitive, but the memory of walking every naked step on all those different surfaces from cool grass, to stony path, tarmac to dry earth more than made up for any discomfort.
It was a night I will remember for a very long time. What a truly amazing adventure!
Last SOC Walk of 2010-By Milfmog
Yesterday I joined the SOC for the last walk of the 2010 season. When I first decided to go on this walk I was expecting torrential rain, howling gales and all manner of pestilence; similar to the weather I experienced when driving to the last walk of 2009. In the event we had a glorious day with temperatures getting as high as 22C (72F).
Twenty two walkers assembled in the car park of the designated pub (the smarter ones having popped in for a pint of good foaming falling over water first) before setting off under a railway and across the fields. The first couple of fields were crossed fully dressed in deference to the overlooking houses but once the group entered a narrow fenced path, screened by trees clothes rapidly vanished into bags and the walk began in earnest.
The first part of the walk was not particularly memorable, but was pretty with some wide views across gently rolling valleys however the path rapidly turned into a beech wood across one of the stiles that was to become one of two noticeable features of the walk.
Given that large stretches of the walk are on stone covered paths, and the predominant local stone is flint, I had elected to wear boots for this walk. The first few paths under the beech trees soon convinced me that I had made a correct choice. Sharp stones and gnarly roots were everywhere and, had I been barefoot I would probably have spent so much time looking where I was about to place my feet that I’d have missed most of the walk.
The lunch stop was about three miles into this walk, a little further than usual and I have to confess that had I known it would be that long I might have explored my nosebag a little before setting out. We had our picnic sat at the edge of a field with no buildings or people in sight anywhere. It would have been a nice sheltered spot had there been any wind to worry about but since we had been lucky with the weather that did not matter this year.
After about half an hour the group set off again, continuing through woods and across an occasional more open area. I had seen little reason to get the camera out until we came to a wooded valley that I just could not resist. What really struck me was how well human skin merged with the background in these conditions.
A little further on the walk passed some fallen timber with a collection of mushrooms growing on it. I could not resist trying to get a perspective distorted shot, however I hit the limitation of my camera; with a minimum aperture of F8.0 I simply could not get sufficient depth of field to keep the foreground mushrooms and the background people in focus. This was the best of the three shots I took and may be the beginning of a justification (to myself) of the need for a DSLR; if I buy a Canon I would already have a bag full of lenses for it…
A little further on we reached a stile in the wood. As usual I was at the back of the group where I could sweep up any stragglers and also take pictures without getting other people in them; this meant that I could not ask anyone to take a picture of me crossing the stile. A convenient fence post, followed by a little postproduction to rotate and crop the resulting pictures, produced this shot of a Milfmog crossing the stile (albeit in the wrong direction!).
This part of the walk goes past a few small hamlets where we were asked to cover up by the walk leader. This is usual on SOC walks where the ethos is to avoid any form of confrontation. In the event we saw one moving around in any of these properties although we did meet one agricultural worker, with two dogs on the back of his quad bike, most of the group was dressed when h passed though a few had only managed to drape something in front of them. Nothing was said and although the farmer did not look too pleased his dogs were more interested in talking to the off duty guide dog that was walking with us. There were a couple more encounters on this walk, the first was as we were crossing this lane in the woods:
Stiles always slow the group down as we take it in turn to cross, our blind walker adding slightly to the delay. This is often a good thing as it provides a natural opportunity for the group to close up a little if it has become too strung out but sometimes, as here, it is a pain because of the road. I had just taken this picture and out the camera away when a car appeared around a bend and the driver got an eyeful he had not anticipated...
The third encounter was with a horse rider who appeared, moving slowly, through the undergrowth a mile or two after the halfway point, where two walkers had decided to catch a train back to the start. Again most of the walkers were covered up when he passed and although greetings were offered I did not hear any reply.
The path continues along some rather muddy paths, I mentioned that stiles were a very common feature on this walk, but somehow I suspect it will be remembered by most for the mud underfoot. The path pictured was fairly typical of the smaller paths after the halfway point:
Shortly after that picture was taken we passed a trig point, which deserved a photograph. Fortunately there was someone available to take the pictures for me as there was nowhere suitable to balance a camera:
(Incidentally, that is not censorship in the picture, nor do I have a strange and embarrassing affliction (at least, not one that can be seen in this picture 
), that really is just a leaf where it happened to be…)
It was just as I got down that we spotted the horse rider coming back again. The two of us covered up (without making any fuss about it) but were too far behind the rest of the group to warn them. Not a problem, the rider went past with a cheerful “I wondered whether I’d catch up with you again” and was obviously not worried by our nudity. I guess he’d just been a little surprised when he first passed us.
The next small hamlet we passed required a cover up as usual but offered the chance for a quick self-portrait in a roadside mirror intended to make it safer to leave a private drive. This gives an idea of the simple wrap I use as minimal cover when I’m out walking:
I may one day get back for a quick nude picture but, given that the building just out of shot to my left is a pub, I suspect not unless I an do it very early one light summer morning. Maybe a thought for next year…
By this time it was gone 5pm and although it was still warm the light was starting to fade, so I put the camera away, just in time to pass this rather quaint cottage:
The house reminded me of the Gingerbread houses told of in fairy tales. The fact that, despite the avenue of trees off to the left, there is no road access, not even a track and that there is only a very faint path across the field just added to the impression.
We were still covered up as we crossed the field and then went past a group of teenagers who appeared to be making a home movie, complete with mad axeman dressed up as a shrouded monk. I don’t know what the significance of the monk is locally but since I soon found myself digging my camera out of my pack to picture this chap I guess I will have to look it up:
There were just a few more stiles to cross before ducking back under the main road and returning to the back of the pub for a well deserved beer at about 18:30. the walk had taken six and a half hours with a forty five minute lunch stop and a second break of about a quarter of an hour for a drink mid afternoon. According to my GPS we had walked 12.36 miles at an average (moving) speed of 2.6 mph (or 1.9 mph if all the stops, short and long, are included).
I thoroughly enjoyed this walk but have to say that the first half was more pleasant than the second half as it was more remote and less muddy. However, this walk started less than 15 miles from home so I can see it being used as the basis for some further exploration in future.
SOC 7th Sept 2010-By Milfmog
On Tuesday 7 September I joined the Singles Outdoor Club (SOC) for a walk just west of Swindon. As usual I drove to the nominated railway station to offer lifts to any walkers arriving by train, given the rather poor weather forecast for the day I did not expect to see many arrivals and when there were three drivers and only two people got off the trains I was not surprised.
After losing the car that was leading the way to the pub where everyone else was to gather I was a little later joining the main group than planned, fortunately I was not the last and so had time for a swift pint of “Arkells 2B” before the off. Once everyone had arrived, a quick count up revealed that there were 21 walkers present, a far better turn out than I’d expected and it was good to see a number of familiar faces. (I was going to say old friends but somehow that seems unkind).
The walk started from a small rough parking area on the Ridgeway, a mile or two from the pub (the more convenient pub by the start having now turned into a curry house), so we all piled into a few cars to travel there.
The first section of the Ridgeway that we walked is rough tarmaced and not very pleasant on bare feet, so I elected to wear my Merrell sandal / trainers. These are good because they can be worn comfortably without socks making them easy to take off and put on if required; I usually hang them from the back of my rucksack on a cord if I’m not wearing them, that way they don’t make my lunch muddy.
Most of the group were naked under the cloudy sky within a minute or so of the off, though some folks elected to remain dressed against the elements. There was a quick cover up a few minutes later as a car went past. The driver was staring resolutely ahead but the dog travelling with him did not seem bothered by the few folks who had not covered up in time. We soon stripped off again and then turned down a narrow path into the valley to our left.
I reckoned the naked types were better dressed for the conditions, though some of the nettles overhanging the path had me wondering whether I was going to regret my lack of clothing. In the event I was able to stay naked with only one slight sting. Shortly after we reached the bottom of the path the heavens opened and we got thoroughly deluged as we looked for the leaders preferred lunchtime picnic spot. The group decided to press on for a while in the hopes that we could stop in the dry a little later. There was enough breeze that, with several hours to go, I elected to use a waterproof poncho to keep the worst of the weather off my otherwise bare skin; getting uncomfortably cold so early in a walk could really take the gloss off the day.
The rain did not last long and half an hour later my poncho was back in my bag as I warmed up in the hazy sunshine. The temperature was around 18C (64F) now that the rain had stopped and the wind dropped too. We paused for lunch in a large field, hidden from the track by a thick hedge heavy with fruits; rosehips, elderberries, sloes and crab apples.
After lunch the walk continued along the Ridgeway. At one point the message came back from the front to cover up for a couple of joggers heading towards us. In the event they saw us and turned around heading back the way they had come.
A little further along the route were a couple of signs where I got another walker to take some pictures:
Once we left the Ridgeway, the walk continued over more open ground towards an old earthwork hill fort. Before we got there there was another call to cover up for approaching walkers, however I elected to move off the path out of sight until they passed instead.
The remains of the earthworks provided a good spot to stop for a drink and a nibble, of which the group took full advantage.
After tea we continued past Ashdown House and this tree that was just too impressive to pass without a picture:
Then we went across some open land before joining a section of minor road that necessitated a cover up. We walked about a mile along this road, accompanied by the drone of traffic on the nearby M4, before turning right towards our start point.
The group became rather strung out, as usual in the later stages of the walk, as some of the walkers grew anxious to get to the pub and a pint of beer, while others were too tired to hurry. It was on this stretch that a dog walker passed us on a parallel path just a few yards away. No one saw him until it was far too late to cover up and pretend, so we just stayed comfortable, greeted him and walked past. We did get a sort of mumbled reply, but the lack of eye contact suggested he was not too pleased to see us. Oh well, at least there was no negative reaction.
All too soon we were back at the Ridgeway just yards from the cars, I managed to get a final picture by a sign before dressing and travelling back to the pub for a good meal before heading home.
Checking my GPS revealed that we had walked a total of 10.6 miles at an average speed of a little under two miles an hour (including stops). Of that I had been naked for just over five hours.
All in all a very pleasant day and as a bonus I now have another walk route stored in my memory (and more permanently in the GPS) that is close to a motorway route I use fairly frequently. I have a feeling that I will be doing sections of this walk again.
Have fun,
Ian.
CO Walk with Somerset Strolling Bears-By Milfmog
I recently joined the Somerset Strolling Bears (aka SSB), lead by Running, for a walk on Exmoor in southwest England. SSB walks vary in length and nature to suit the walkers who attend; distance could be up to a dozen miles and the routes can vary from flat to “who put that blasted mountain in the way”. This walk was to start near Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor so there was obviously the potential for more up and down stuff than I usually do. The weather forecast was excellent, 15 to 16C (approx 60F) with light winds and bright sunshine, near perfect walking conditions. Taz (my dog, a cross best described as 50% Labrador, 50% Boxer and 100% stupid) and I left home at about 6:30 to make sure we arrived in time for the scheduled start at 10:30. AutoRoute reckoned it would take me three hours to get there but, given that I would be driving through the morning rush hour, I decided to allow some extra time. It was just as well that I did as after one short stop, so that Taz could have a comfort break and I could buy a coffee, we arrived with around ten minutes to spare. Running Bear was already there, as were a couple of others. By the time we left there were eight walkers with a total of 18 feet between us. (For those struggling with the arithmetic, that’s seven people and one dog.) Running Bear had chosen a route that started of by climbing up a narrow valley with a stream running along the bottom and numerous low branches overhanging. This had the merit that we could get rid of clothes almost as soon as we left the road but the downside was that I could have done with a machete to hack my way through. Low branches forced me to duck and occasionally go on hands and knees until we left the stream a few minutes later, rather warmer than when we’d set out We now found ourselves on a reasonable track with no one in sight and the last hesitant few disrobed and stuffed clothes in backpacks.
The warm sun on skin and the light breeze were wonderful and the happy band set off, dog leading the way, followed by a group of four and then the group of three containing dog’s owner; it’s always good to know that Taz worries about me…
After fifteen minutes or so we had our first textile alert. A couple of walkers had been seen on another path; so shorts, sarongs etc went on to avoid any risk of offence. To be honest, had I been on my own I would probably not have covered up; at that distance I doubt whether they could have seen us well enough to know how we were dressed. However when I walk with others I tend to take my cues from the group as a whole so I wrapped up like the rest.
After a few minutes the visible world was all ours again and cover-ups were removed once more. This pattern of walking, mostly naked with occasional coverup’s for distant textiles, proved to be the norm for the day and most walkers carried their chosen cover in their hands for easy access. I was feeling like a well loaded pack donkey with a relatively full back pack (I had to carry water and food for Taz as well as for myself and also had a small first aid kit, spare clothes, a flask of hot drink and a couple of travel towels just in case) plus my small camera bag was hung around my neck with Taz’s wander lead on my pack harness for easy access. I decided to tuck my wrap on the harness too. I had a funny feeling that I would end up with a curiously patchy sun tan after the day…
Our route took us further onto the moor and down the edge of a typical Exmoor valley. The picture above gives a good idea of how open the scenery was. Despite this there were some minor roads across the moor and some care was required to avoid disturbing the natives. Running Bear, being the considerate walk leader that he is, even provided for comfort stops as required:
(For some reason Running Bare called me a Tit for taking that picture... I was only trying to demonstrate how he caters for our welfare )
After an hour or so, shortly after crossing a road, we stopped by a stand of trees for a late second breakfast or maybe an early first lunch. Whatever the meal was, Taz decided to practise his begging technique on anyone daft enough to look at him and I reckon he probably left the stop several kilos heavier than he arrived.
After a short stop and an impromptu yoga demonstration (pictured elsewhere on the forum) we continued. A small herd of deer trotted away from us as we crested one rise, unfortunately just too far ahead for me to photograph them. We covered up again for a road junction and then dropped down into the valley to cross a stream and climb back up the other side towards Dunkery Beacon itself.
The next stretch proved to be the longest climb of the day as we headed up to the cairn on top of Dunkery Hill. There was rather more puffing going on during this climb and we stopped several times (just to admire the view, you understand) before deciding on a second munchies stop a hundred feet or so below the summit. Although we had seen a few textiles during the climb they were judged to be far enough away that most of us stayed properly dressed. However, the hill top itself is something of a draw for walkers and so a textile alert was passed back and everyone covered up once again before we got to the top. I took a picture of the cairn (just to prove that I got there) and we then dropped back down the main track to the car park.
In all, I guess we were out for about three and a half hours of which we were naked for about three hours. We’d walked about six miles, which was plenty for a couple of the walkers to be sure they would feel it the next day. The offer of a coffee made by one of the walkers (who’d come in a camper van) was gratefully accepted. Unfortunately with several scotch eggs, pork pies and a pasty sitting heavily in my digestive tract I was forced to decline the very tempting offer of a bacon sandwich.
All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable day and I can only hope that the SOC walks I hope to go on are half as good. Many thanks again to Running Bear for making this happen and if you fancy a good naked stroll sometime I recommend you to consider joining the SSBs, you’ll be more than welcome.
Have fun (I did),
Ian.
Abbey House Gardens- By Milfmog
Abbey house gardens clothing optional day 1 June 2008 I was debating whether I would go to the clothing optional day at Abbey House Gardens on Sunday 1 June right up to the morning of the day itself. As those who know me are aware, temperature does not bother me much so I was really only concerned about the prospect of driving 170 mile round trip just to stand in the rain. On the day the forecast was not too bad (40% chance of rain and 18C) so I went for it and am very glad that I did. I took about 90 pictures on the day, which I have cut down to about 50 by binning the rubbish. I have placed 42 of them in a Flickr album. Anyone with too much time on their hands is welcome to browse them, you’re fairly safe, I forgot my tripod so there are no pictures of me . Although there was some "falling mist" as I was driving down, we did not actually have any rain while I was at AHG, however you will see that some of the pictures of flowers clearly show water droplets as the air was not dry enough for them to evaporate during the time I was there.
I parked at Malmesbury at about 11:45 and walked up the steps to the garden entrance. This took me across the public footbridge that can be seen in a couple of the pictures.
I was a little disappointed that I did not see any unclad bodies when I looked from the bridge and started to wonder whether I had made a good decision by driving down. On arrival at the garden entrance the signs were up to advise visitors that it was a clothing optional day, I paid my £6.50 and went straight to the belvedere to get rid of my clothes. As I walked in I was greeted by a cheerful “Here comes trouble” from under a blue Peng Travel baseball cap; I’d found Pete Knight and just behind him was our resident strolling bear, Graham. There were a few other faces I recognised wandering around as well though I could not attach names to the majority of them. After a short chat I wandered off towards the bottom of the garden, pleased to see that there were other nudies around, I think I’d have felt a bit daft as the only one. I was wearing a pair of crocs to deal with the bits that hurt my feet but spent most of the day carrying them around and enjoying the textures underfoot. At the bottom of the hill I found a wonderful moss covered tree that grew almost horizontally over the river before curving upwards. I could not resist climbing onto the trunk and walking out along it above the water. The gardens are overlooked from public areas in several places, a couple of late teenagers or early twenties were hanging around on bikes for a while, looking for good looking women? They must have been really disappointed when I turned up at eyelevel having climbed the irresistible moss covered tree… I have to say that although they were hanging around for a while they were not in any way troublesome, threatening or off putting.
I walked across the river on the stepping stones barefoot. The combination of hard, rough rock, slippery moss & weeds and cool flowing water soothing my feet was an experience I would not have wanted to miss. It was such a shame to see so many naturists wearing shoes or sandals to cross the river. My crocs proved to be an excellent choice for naturist footwear, they are comfortable when worn and very light and so unobtrusive to carry when barefoot is a sensible choice. After fording the river I checked my watch and then hurried back up to the belvedere to find Graham and join his proposed yoga tryout. Unfortunately that was a memory failure on my part, the yoga had been scheduled for 12:30 so I was too late, sorry Graham. After another wander around the lower garden I stopped and munched my sandwiches (bought at the supermarket by the long stay carpark (free on Sundays) and drank a cup of tea from the café by the fish pool. I took photographs for a couple of people who tapped me on the shoulder and should really have asked them to return the favour but for some reason the thought never ever occurred to me. The laburnum tunnel proved to be a very popular backdrop for portraits.
About three quarters of the people I saw initially were clothed but I have to say it was not a warm, sunny day so some of them may well have been naturists of a more delicate constitution than myself. The thing that really gave me a warm glow, however, was that there were clothed people, some with fairly young children, who were happily mixing with the naturists with no apparent concerns at all. Although the proportion of naked people increased throughout the day (by mid afternoon I’d guess that the proportions were reversed) the comfortable mix of textiles and naturists continued to impress and delight me.
As well as meeting a number of faces I’d seen before and some new naturist friends, I had one quite long conversation with a rather prim looking grandmother who commented that she thought it was lovely that everyone just mixed together irrespective of how they were dressed. I got the distinct impression that she’d like to try naturism sometime but was not quite brave enough to do it there and then. The temperature was about 15C (59F) when I arrived and rose a couple of degrees C during the afternoon. This proved to be very comfortable for walking around and felt really good. I was out and about naked for about 4 hours including a stop for a cup of tea and a sandwich and several lengthy chats but never felt even slightly cold. That actually surprised me a little as I usually reckon that the reason I stay warm when I'm out and about is that I'm active, usually walking fairly briskly. I had to leave around 4pm as I was under orders to be home before friends came around for dinner. Even as I was leaving other people were coming into the gardens, I was jealous, I wanted to stay... I will go back to AHG, maybe the sun will shine then (and maybe not) but the gardens change dramatically with the seasons so it never feels like going back to the same place. If any of you are able to make it, the gardens really are a fabulous place for a day out.
Hope I’ve not bored you all to death.
Have fun,
Ian.