Immenakie

Today, March 18th, has been the warmest day we've had this year. Up here in the Pennines, Spring is considerably later compared to 'down South' but today was one of those balmy, sunny ones which it was impossible to resist! The sunshine makes everybody's hearts feel glad and lifts spirits.

The temperature was topping 16 celsius but it felt even warmer in the sun, in spite of a cool east-south-easterly breeze. We made for the forest. Once again we met hardly a soul.

Gisburn Forest has undergone changes over almost a hundred years of being here. I used to orienteer here with my school team. The Forestry Commission looked after it then. There were many side paths, connecting the main rides at that time. Some were signposted at the time with simple wooden finger posts. The many streams which thread the forest were often crossed on walkways that prevented you sinking into the soggy, mossy ground.

The present owners: Forestry England, together with United Utilities, now have a different approach. They have carved mountain bike tracks through parts of the forest and way marked hiking routes following the main gravel based roads. They are pleasant. A few follow parts of the old footpaths. All are a marked with coloured markers.

At first glance, the old forest footpaths seem to have completely disappeared. The signposts have all but gone. Those that remain are grey, decayed and often covered with moss. Following these paths isn't encouraged and they have simply been neglected and left to rot. They have a decayed and abandoned feel but they still abound if you look carefully. They make great places to enjoy walking, naked and free as we all need to do.

Take care if you do what we did today. The old board walks are moss covered and at times slippery if it has been at all damp and wet. You can walk barefoot, as I did here, but watch out for splinters!

If you do, you will be rewarded with the most tranquil, beautiful and peaceful experiences. The wood was still today; no whooshing of branches in the wind overhead. There was birdsong however; chaffinches, goldcrests, robins, wrens, thrushes and more. We glimpsed the white rumps of roe deer, wandering the forest even more quietly than ourselves.

This is a magical, almost Tolkeinish sort of place. The magic feels ancient, from a time when these trees were much much smaller. Now, like silent giants they reach way overhead, witnessing our quiet progress among their living, breathing selves.

Here, you can be at one with yourself and your environment. No longer barriered by clothing; bereft of any insulation from the cool breeze and moss beneath your feet, you can step out as you are meant to. You are now part of the forest itself, no longer out of step with its rhythms and cadences. This is natural you, not the fake textile clad one; just you as the Creator made you.

Gisburn Forest can be reached on the minor road which begins at Copy Nook, Lancashire and climbs over Bowland Knotts to Clapham, North Yorkshire. The forest starts at the foot of the steep climb to the pass. There is a car park and a small cafe at the Forest Hub. The forest is however immense and the footpaths and trails many.

All photos of me were made by my professional photographer husband Martin who retains copyright. Shots of him were made by me, using his camera.

This is purely a naturist blog and depicts non-sexual nudity. Its aim is to educate others about the benefits of the naturist lifestyle. The blog is tagged 'Mature' because this is what Tumblr mandates, not because naturism is in any way offensive or explicit (it isn't). If you are a naturist or an aspiring naturist, please feel free to share the post (in its entirety) or message me about naturism.

Messages or comments of a sexual nature on this blog will not receive a response and will generally be deleted. This is not because I hate sex (I love it) rather to maintain its integrity as a naturist blog.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do tell me if you did. If it inspired you, I wish you Happy Naturist Hiking this year, 2026.

In doing so, we advocate fostering personal freedom and self-acceptance, as nature intended.

How far do you go to practice naturism? If you are like me, you probably live most of your life naked. The exceptions are those occasions where others might be genuinely offended or public settings where nudity is simply not allowed. In the UK, these exceptions are rare (depending on your lifestyle.) Those who work from home like myself can pretty much call the shots and work naked the whole year round. I'm naked as I write this to you.

Some of you aren't so fortunate. Maybe naturism simply isn't allowed in your jurisdiction or possibly is allowed ONLY in designated locations like a 'naturist beach'. This is pretty hard on you if like me, you live way up in the hills, a long way from the ocean! Some of you might be members of a naturist club where you can be as nature intended with your favourite people. You may not be near any clubs (I certainly aren't) or membership may be rather expensive. Okay, why not try your doorstep?

Okay, maybe not your ACTUAL doorstep (both myself and Mart have been naked on ours however). What about somewhere really close to your home, somewhere quiet where you can be at peace with your surroundings and where you can practise naturism alone or with others. Everywhere is different and true I have never lived in the heart of a really big city like LA. However, most of us live not too far from small patches of quiet fields or woodland. Maybe somewhere like this? (That's my husband Mart by the way).

What can be achieved? Well, for 6 years we did live in the very heart of Manchester UK. The city centre itself is home to just short of 600,000, the greater metropolitan area just under 3 million. This is pretty small by world standards but a bustling city nonetheless. While it is hard to believe however; the tranquil river below (Manchester's River Medlock) lies only a quarter of a mile from the frenetic city centre. Once an busy industrial area and now overgrown and neglected it is flanked by an ancient cobbled way, hardly ever walked by others. Here we have walked naked while traffic hurtled by beyond the trees just yards away.

We are even luckier now. We live in a village on the edge of a small northern town but still there are no dedicated naturist facilities. Only a few miles out of town however, there is the space and quiet we need in order to go clothes free. Yes, we could walk, but walking there naked wouldn't be to everybody's liking. Hop in the car and we'll head up there now.

It takes about 15 minutes. This is an area of quiet heath and pasture rising rapidly up to hilly country. It lies close to one of the largest industrial conurbations in Northern England. With around 2 million inhabitants, the area is the 4th most populous in the UK, yet even here there are craggy summits we can climb naked. Hardly anyone ever goes there! Let's head off up the trail!

Today was warm and sunny so we took a simple picnic. A short walk under the main Blackpool to York railway line lead us out into a secluded little paradise. Back in the Millennium, they planted forest trees here. These days you see hardly anyone! Let's go (you won't need any clothes, trust me). Don't forget your sun-cream and insect repellent though.

The little hill in front is what remains of the long gone mining industry. Many years ago, coal was extracted in this valley, to fuel the nearby mills in the town close by. The railway took the coal to the factories and furnaces. Today you see roe and fallow deer, woodpeckers and forest birds. The walking can be a little wet underfoot. Boots are a good idea and a small rucksack to carry your few bits and pieces. Make sure you have a minimal cover up just in case. I have a little dress to slip over me if needed but I hardly ever use it. You'll be walking through this:

With views like this!

Those drystone walls, now neglected, once marked 'intake' fields where local farmers grazed stock or even cut hay by hand. These days they are home to a few sheep, horses and wild birds like curlew and lapwing. Just a heads up, the sheep don't mind if you leave your clothes behind. The other animals feel pretty much the same.

Here's the guy taking the pictures; our professional photographer Martin. (He entrusted taking his pic to me however :-)

Climbing hills can make you a little thirsty and hungry. You gain a lot of elevation on this climb from the valley floor. The ascent is only about 30 miles distant from some really popular summits in Northern England. Folk have a good long drive to get there and there'll be hardly anywhere to park. Most people head where everyone knows about, the 'beauty spots', and pay little attention to round here. #

Here's a picnic bench. The only one. Surrounded by quiet woodland, it is a great place to stop and eat. Let's have a picnic, enjoy the sunshine and the great views.

The bench was put here 25 years ago. It is old and grey now. Barely anybody uses it apart from us.

It is so quiet here. All you hear are the birds and the wind rustling in the trees. Forget the crowded beach. If you want, you can sunbathe a little and soak up the views.

It's so quiet and peaceful. I really don't mind if you want to put your head down and just fall as sleep for a little while.

This has been a great day and all just a short distance from my home on the edge of a Northern Mill town (population around 79,000. It doesn't take a huge effort to get here; indeed there's a regular double decker bus plies up this valley. It stops in the village down below. You don't even need a car! Today was a Summer Sunday when most people go out for leisure. However we hardly saw a soul: A far cry from most overcrowded naturist beaches! You might meet the odd runner heading up the fell or an occasional walker, but they are few and far between. We have the place to yourself most of the time. I'm going to head back down now.

So here's your challenge. Take a look around your locality, maybe even get yourself a map. Where is there a little place, round the corner, with few visitors? Is there somewhere that doesn't attract the tourists? Somewhere a little overgrown with paths that need care to discover? I have lived in many places in the UK. The North East, the North Wales Coast, the big northern cities and the heart of a city centre. Always there has been somewhere to escape to at a moments notice; somewhere to enjoy naturism. Such places will repay your efforts 100 fold, giving you somewhere to retreat to when busy textile life has let you down. Go find them, take off you clothes and enjoy!

Good searching!

Stay naked, stay you, stay authentic,