Somerset Strolling bears leads regular walks including the Blackdowns. One caution though it is also a well publicised area for Dogging. Quantocks more upmarket and isolated/ hilly.

Ok, thanks for that.  Will try and join you. I am member of Strolling Bears

Just a thought. I do not have anything against dogging except that it is perceived as normal expected behaviour on the Blackdowns that the police and members of the public 'accept' goes on in this area. The general perception of the police and public is therefore seen that any naked person on the Blackdowns has a sexual agenda unless proven otherwise. Members of the public avoid this area because they may see sex and the police turn a blind eye.

Dogging activity takes place at weekends and evenings so is unlikely to coincide with our active time. I do not see a conflict of interests here however we must be careful not to be seen as sexual adventurers. We have more than ample non-sexual hills to trample over so I feel leaving these hills to the doggers is probably better.

Incidentally while walking on a beach between Budleigh Salterton and Weston our group bumped into a couple having sex on the beach (not the drink) so it is everywhere!!!

We have monthly walks planned on Thu (end of Jan next one) but I have not had a chance to work out dates yet (off sick). There are also walks planned in Snowdonia (Friday).

I walk regularly with my local Ramblers association and am known for the minimum clothes I wear on these walks, Most walkers walk like little Michelin men while all I wear is a shell suit. I have not made it generally known that I lead naturist walks but if the topic came up would not keep it a secret. Our group did walk along the Studland beach once and the topic of nudity did come up. It was trivialised so my input was non committal but informative.

It never ceases to amaze me how many clothes people wear. I always start with the minimum needed and in truth most of my walks are non-naturist. I then build up as required. People are conditioned to wear a lot. Some years ago I had the opportunity of a glacier walk. People had been told to have a shell suit so they had to wear it. I was down to a single light wick-able T shirt, hat and light trousers and I was warm. One other guy was dressed in a similar fashion and it was the two of us who were in front.

As an aside we ended the walk being given chocolate and seal meat, which may not be everyone idea of acceptable food. It was actually a dark and flavoursome meat and it was in the very high north of Svalbard. I also tried whale meat. I'm strongly against whaling but tried a sample to to experience it. It was OK but what really is disgusting is 80% is thrown away yet the killing continues.

Five of us went into Snowdonia on Sunday and on that occasion it was clothes all the way and would have been even if all the party had been naturist. We had rain, hail and high winds. The mountain remained "free". Common sense directed that we started back down before we got to the summit. Even though we'd started in good time we realised that that it gets dark early and you should always allow for the unexpected. I like walking/climbing with safe companions and we had a great day out. Wadsworth 6X and Spitfire been at the Tyn-y-Coed pub. What better way to end the day?

Davie  😎

...As an aside we ended the walk being given chocolate and seal meat,...
Davie  😎

I fare well on chocolate in the form of Cadburies cream egg and my Cornish seal-equivalent is the Cornish pasty. When walking north of the border the highland delicacy of Haggis and chips replaces the pasty; do they use seal meat in Haggi? We use skirt in our pasties.

I am a fell runner (perhaps 'was' as been off sick) and many times enter the hills naked apart from a running shorts and t-shirt. Food intake is the secret here not thermal insulation. Also a sea-kayaker (type of canoe used on the ocean) and summer and winter clothes need to be light and minimal to allow free movement.

My textile rambling group does not understand my washing my feet in cold streams during winter. If my feet are dirty (wear crocks) and bare then the cold stream is only transient to use a yoga term. Soon warms up and is most exhilarating. Clothes/ socks are a much over-exaggerated commodity.

I agree I am always cold at the start of a run or walk rather than needing to take clothes off when I get warm I prefer to shiver at the start and save the extra weight. Sheltering behind a fatter runner/walker is most appropriate or a natural bush [as in tree:-)]

Just received a silk Thai fishermans trousers from Thailand. Bad buy for yoga since it has a wide side seam and would expose me too much during yoga teaching (unless naturist) and I would never dream of wearing underwear with them. May be good for naturist walks or beach wear though.

I meant  to buy these http://www.siamtropical.com/Thai-Pants---Solid-Orange-257

Just to make point about Running Bears comments about the police turning a blind eye to dogging on the Blackdowns, and they accept that it goes on. As a person who knows quite a lot about the Police in the Taunton area, I can assure you that they are aware this goes on and they DO patrol the areas where this goes on and it is NOT tolerated and there are no eyes turned blind

Valid point but I still do not see we need to be associated with an area which is a know sex field.
Edit: On reflection I consider that I use Studland beach which is a known swinging/dogging area. Perhaps we should not be forced out of good walking areas by the reputation of the area. Anybody any thoughts on this matter? The police patrol the roads and would probably not patrol the hills.

Point taken about being forced out of attractive areas.

As a suggestion and I'm a coward as I won't be there and  a suggestion is easy to make but may be not so easy to carry out. What about writing to the local Police Commander, informing him of the intended route and the naturist boni fides of the walkers, i.e. member of BN, SOC, SSBs etc. State it is during the day and there is no intention to cause alarm or distress and the group will be discrete and has no intention of condoning the activities of the doggers etc.

As we know that mere nudity is not an offence and it would at least be interesting to see the reply.

There is of course the equally valid view that we should not have to ask permission to carry out a lawful activity. However a positive reply in writing would enable the group to tell a misinformed PC/PCSO what they can do with their pompus directions to cover up when no-one else is around.

Davie  😎

This has been done in the past by a naturist rambler colleague and on reflection and discussion it was not felt to be worthwhile.

The other problem is the man-hours from both the walkers and the police. Duty of care (or whatever the equivalent in the non-medical field is) if reported the police must act. If they are unaware they need not act. but 'turn a blind eye'. A legal blind eye! I am aware that my local ramblers association is aware that naked people do walk in the area and this suggests that the local police also know of our existence. Nothing is secret on the internet nowadays.

Another defence we can use is that we have been walking monthly in this area for several years and have attracted no (few) complaints. We have attracted several complaints but surprisingly none for nudity.

Perhaps we should walk on the Blackdowns in order to reclaim these hills to bona-fide naturist ramblers. Any publicity may be good for the cause.

Perhaps we should walk on the Blackdowns in order to reclaim these hills to bona-fide naturist ramblers. Any publicity may be good for the cause.

Agreed, if this sort of thing is done openly and in numbers, (like the bike rides), apart from causing some initial amusement amongst the unenlightened it becomes largely part of the scenery.

There is also an argument that we should populate the beaches of the Waveney District following their decision to make all beaches CO!

What about writing to the local Police Commander, informing him of the intended route and the naturist boni fides of the walkers, i.e. member of BN, SOC, SSBs etc. State it is during the day and there is no intention to cause alarm or distress and the group will be discrete and has no intention of condoning the activities of the doggers etc.

I would reinforce this by giving approximate times you expect to reach certain points along the route and putting in a question e.g. Would walking sticks be viewed as offensive weapons? in order to get some response (which would enable you to know that the police are aware of your walk).

So, in answer to my original comment, has anyone walked nude on the Blackdowns, and which area is best

I'm not familiar with the Blackdown Hills but I would have thought that any dogging (and therefore police interest) was confined to areas close to car parks and other access points.

Regarding your original question Dave, and in the absence of anyone coming up with specific recommendations, the only answer is to get a decent map (OS Landranger or similar) of the area, and look for likely paths that are away from parking areas and habitation. Then try them whilst clothed to get some idea of usage. Going early or late may make a given route more feasible.

Sorting out a walk where you can stay nude most of the time, (whilst taking a cover up with you) and with a duration of up to say an hour shouldn't be too hard. It goes without saying that the longer the walk the more planning is required, and the more cover ups are likely to be required to cross roads, and pass through / by villages etc.

John