Fairlight Glen, Hastings, UK

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Comments for Fairlight Glen, Hastings, UK

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Dec 04, 2023
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		getting there from car park at the top
by: Anonymous

Can anyone advise at what point is it deemed ok to remove your clothes as it would be great to walk through part of the wood nude?
Secondly has anyone been to the beach in December and been nude?
Many Thanks
Jun 17, 2023
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Walk from Hastings along the coast.
by: Nick H

I am local to Fairlight and noted a few comments here about walking through the country park from the direction of Hastings. It is possible to go from Hastings Old Town to the main nude beach at Fairlight along the coast, if you time it right with the tides. Please note the times and do not attempt to walk this way less than three hours before the high tide time. Also please note that some of the local notices of tide times give the times in BST, others in GMT, so please make sure that you are aware of what time is indicated. Once you get used to the tides, beach and timings it may be possible to walk this way nearer to high tide times, but be aware that on days when it is the highest high tides, 7.5-+8 meters, there will be points where the sea reaches the base of the cliffs, which can be several hundred feet high and therefore there is no escape route, as there is no way up from the beach between the beach at Rock-a-Nor (Hastings Old town) and the path at Fairlight beach.

If you do this at low tide then most of the walk will be on flat sand, which is generally very easy to walk on, near Ecclesbourne Glen it can be softer and muddier near where the waterfall runs out to sea. At other times the walk will be on a mix of sand, shingle of various sizes and rocks, which make the walk much more of a workout. The main attraction for me to walk this way is that once you are a few hundred meters from the last part of town you can walk the whole way nude. It takes about 30 mins at a brisk pace. It is not unusual to see other nudists going this way, to and from the beach. I've never had an issue when meeting people who are not nudists, most beach walkers and people fishing there seem to accept nudity.

Walking right under the cliffs risks rock falls, over the years I've seen small and big rockfalls, the geology and weather mean that this is a regular occurrence, keeping down the beach is safe though. Look out for peregrine falcons here, in mid-summer they'll be teaching their young to hunt the young gulls and fulmars nesting on the cliffs. You're also likely to see seals along this coast, at certain times when they have their young you may see up to 50 or so basking on the beach, at other times of the year they're more spread out but very likely to pop their heads up somewhere nearby, they are curious creatures and much more at home in the water than I am. It is wonderful to witness nature like this while naturally naked IMO.

It is possible to walk nude for some distance east beyond the main nude beach, in total this is stretch of about 3 miles where you can be nude and free all the way. Although public nudity is legal in the UK in practice many nudists do not get naked beyond recognised naked places. Here it is an exception, because most of the way it is backed by high cliffs and not overlooked by settlement we can be free to enjoy it completely naked. I know of no similar place in the SE of England with a similar amount of space to enjoy naked.

The amount of sand and shingle on this stretch of coast varies a lot with the seasons, tides and from day to day. there has not been as much shingle at the main nude part for about 8 years as there used to be, this has broadly coincided with the harbour arm at Hastings being infilled, this seems to have seriously affected the longshore drift which means that there is less shingle at Fairlight nude beach and more of it at other local beaches
Jul 07, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Fairlight Glen
by: Vic

My wife and I intended to spend a day walking in the country park which runs along the coast from Hastings (Sussex, England) to Petts Level where there’s a beach with the remains of a petrified woods.

Understanding that my wife would not have the ability to resist paddling in the sea when we reached the beach I‘d packaged towels in a rucksack along with our lunch.

As we approached Hastings in our car the sun came out as though to make a mockery of the weather forecast of a warm but cloudy day. We hadn’t walked far before it was really rather hot. There are coves at the bottom of the cliffs but we usually avoided the steep climb necessary to reach them (they’re now even less easily accessible as coastal erosion has made the cliffs dangerous). Yet my wife could see the sea and needed to reach it!

We followed a path which appeared to be leading in the right direction and this brought us to the very top of a wooden stairway. Nonetheless there was a sign which warned that beyond this point one might encounter naturists … My wife said it was a shame to turn back now.

Being a hot day there was quite a number of people already in the cove. One end was clearly a suntrap and was crowded – chiefly with naturists as far as we could tell from a distance. We made our way to a less busy part and put down our towels to make the pebbles more comfortable to sit on while we ate our lunch. I took off my tee shirt and my wife studied the beach. She said it was a shame we had come unprepared but did I think her knickers would look like a bikini. I said that her knickers would probably pass but I was not convinced about her bra. She agreed and promptly took off her skirt.
After pausing she subsequently took off her bra.

On holiday in France she’d frequently gone topless so this wasn’t particularly surprising. I don’t usually wear anything under shorts so I asked her if she minded if took off my shorts since it was so hot, She said that was OK so we sat and ate our lunch with me naked and her wearing just her knickers.

After lunch my wife began to get uneasy. The sea was calling … It was noticeable that at our end of the beach a lot of girls who sunbathed topless put on their tops to walk down to the sea to swim; equally women and men who were sunbathing naked replaced their costumes before walking to the ocean. My wife then took off her knickers and asked if I wanted to join her for a swim. She said she’d have to keep her knickers dry as she couldn’t climb back up in a skirt without wearing knickers.

Walking down that beach hand in hand with my lovely nude wife is one of my proudest memories. After swimming we sunbathed some more and then after another swim it was time to continue our walk. That was our first visit to a clothing optional beach.

We had previously visited a spa with a sauna where costumes were not worn on a couple of occasions so this was not an instance of the very first time naked in public but it was the first-time outdoors. Since then we have visited French clothing optional beaches but my wife prefers to wear a bikini (or at least the bottom) while I typically go nude. On one occasion we’d gone out on a dreary day and been surprised when it turned hot and again my wife had stripped happily as it was the only means she would have the ability to swim.

I don’t understand why she prefers to wear a costume but I treasure the memory of that day in Fairlight Cove.
Jun 01, 2021
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		getting to firelight cove
by: Anonymous

I usually park my car in the country park car park and walk down to the beach through the glen. Once I have passed the last of the houses I usually strip off and walk down the whole way in the nude. Sometimes I come across other people walking the other way. If its a couple or a woman on her own then I may slip a sarong around my waist but if its a guy on his own I don't usually bother. I have never had a single comment.

Occasionally I am overtaken by another nude walker, when that does happen its really reassuring.

Hope to see others doing the same thing
Feb 19, 2020
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Getting there from Hastings
by: Anonymous

My preferred route is take a train to Hastings and walk across town then up the hill by the East cliff fenicular. Walk along to top cliff side. Comes to a path down Ecclesbourne Glen. Says closed but unless it has been wet it is ok to get through.

Go down and back up other side then follow the cliff top path. Lovely views and very open. Gets to woods again and still to the right and down hill. At bottom of hill is. A fence and sign saying access not allowed. Do so at own risk. Down hill from here is beach access. It is amazing.

I usually walk fast and takes 45 mins to get there from end of town. I also find the Ecclesbourne Glen path to be pretty deserted due to being ‘closed’ so I tend to walk nude most of the way and skip on some shorts if I see anyone approaching. Glorious nude hike.
May 11, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		hmm
by: Anonymous

Went there today for the first time. Looks nice! It is quiet there with two other people.
Aug 03, 2015
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Fair light glen
by: Graham

Went this weekend 30min walk from car park down hill
Jul 30, 2015
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Can't wait
by: Anonymous

Looking to go there in a few weeks with my girlfriend for the first time, just wanted some feed back about the beach and area plz!
Jan 17, 2015
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		naturist
by: micky

Good place when sunny.. been there many times ,quiet, no trouble .
Nov 15, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Getting to the Glen
by: Gaz

I tend to walk up the cliff from the fishing village (rock-a-nore) and then across the top of the cliff - so maybe I'm not walking far enough.

Wonder if someone who goes can take snaps of the route so people who don't get there often can have a "virtual" pathway to follow LOL
Nov 15, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Access
by: Anonymous

I haven't measured it but I suppose it is about a mile between the car park and the beach. Stick with it!
Nov 13, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		next time I'm in Hastings
by: Anonymous

Will have to give this another try.
maybe, as I tend to walk (I don't drive) I'm not walking far enough along the trail.
Nov 13, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Access is OK
by: Anonymous

When we have been, the path was fairly obvious and certainly isn't blocked.

We parked in the public car park and followed the good quality footpath. The only vague bit is when, about half way along, you come to a house. The path kinks to the right and goes down the right side of the house.

Generally, if you are going downhill, you are OK! A quick look at Google maps beforehand made me feel quite confident about it.

Haven't been for a while as we have joined a naturist club nearer home but recommend this venue for a great day out.
Nov 09, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Congrats
by: Anonymous

Have been going there for years, from childhood till now. I go all year round, weather permitting.
Jun 21, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Getting to the Glen
by: Gaz

How did you get down to the Glen?
Last time I was there you could not as all paths were closed.
Only way to swim out to sea, then swim around the rocky outcrop and back into the Glen - not the best to do

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