I enclose a photocopy of an article that appeared in the October 1963 edition
of Helios magazine. The second half relates to naturists using the Studland area
from before World War I to 1963 and I wondered if you might be interested in
using parts of the article in The Bare Essentials. I
found the historical information fascinating and other SUN members might, also.
Thanks for sending the article, Allan. The article is quite
interesting, although it contains a number of historical and factual
inaccuracies we reproduce it in full.
On the south coast of England to the west of the Isle of Wight is a large
group of towns, those most widely known being Christchurch, Bournemouth and
Poole. Their total population is about a quarter of a million people many of
whom work or derive some part of their income from a thriving holiday trade
throughout the summer month. This holiday area concentrates upon the country to
the west of the New Forest on the one hand and the coastal beaches of Poole Bay
upon the other hand. At the extreme west of this large bay is a tongue of beach
which encloses the mouth of Poole Harbour. This anchorage has a coastline of
about two hundred kilometres which is completely developed for housing upon the
east side but undeveloped heather heathland sloping up to the chalk down land of
the Isle of Purbeck beyond the heath on the west side.
The harbour holds a number of islands of which the largest, a bird sanctuary,
is Brownsea Island being some 3 to 5 kilometres by two wide at the maximum
distances. This island is placed close to the mouth of the harbour where a motor
ferry operates a shuttle service from the Poole shore, or Haven Point, to the
Purbeck shore, or Shell Bay, upon the other side. From Shell Bay a road runs
over Studland Heath to the Purbeck Hills and eventually to Swanage some
kilometres further on. To the north of this road is the undeveloped western
shore of the harbour and to the south the land alters its appearance and between
the road and the sea shore are two large fresh water lakes known as Big Sea and
Little Sea. These are linked to the sea by a number of streams which run
parallel to the road and cut the area into three equal strips.
This area was formed about five hundred years ago and subsequently a number
of insects and plants have adapted themselves so completely to their environment
that they are now unique. As a result the area is of great interest in checking
scientific theories in a number of related studies. To preserve its condition
intact the area was first designated as an area of great natural beauty by
government decree and subsequently the owners offered to lease it at a nominal
rent to the National Trust. This is a non-naturist organisation devoted to the
preservation of areas of natural interest for the public good.
In this case naturists were keenly interested as the area has a long
tradition of use by the public for sunbathing and swimming in a nude state which
goes back to some time before the first world war. Therefore, as soon as the
transfer of the lease was completed and announced in the local press Mr. Michael
Keatering*, a local resident and producer of several naturist films (Sunswept
and Travelling Light for example) approached the local conservancy officer, Mr.
J.H. Hemsley regarding the official use of the beach by naturists. This official
was in no position to grant the sanction of the National Trust to the proposals
but he accepted the papers for consideration by the National Committee to
determine the Conservancy's decision, and formulate a policy about naturism upon
this and other areas under their control.
Until the first World War the local population was quite low and the coastal
shore much more extensively available than at present. It is known that members
of Poole Rowing Club swam nude from the area and that groups of schoolboys from
local schools swam nude as official parties under school authority and finally
that the owner of Brownsea Island would sometimes bring his guests and family
upon a visit for similar purposes. After the first war intensive estate
development on the coastline gradually barred swimmers from nude bathing until
only Shell Bay and Studland beach were left for naturist use. The inevitable
result was that various local people began to use this beach for nude swimming.
During the years between the first and second world wars the beach grew much
wider as the indirect result of the construction of a tidal control scheme in
the western end of Poole Bay. This was a groyne or mole which was built like a
reef to cut Studland Bay from the remainder of Poole Bay. The lagoon inside this
reef of large rocks and concrete blocks became quite shallow and warmer than the
sea outside which provided a further reason for naturists to gather each weekend
in the summer.
After the evacuation of France in 1940 the coast became a defence area and
was mined and covered with beach defences. Some of these still appear after
storms sweep the sand away sometimes. The similarity of the bay to the Normandy
Coast chosen for the invasion resulted in several large and very intensive
military exercise being held during which "battle& literally thousands
of live rounds, rockets and bombs were fired into the beaches. Air bombardment
was also used up to bombs of 3000 Kgm.
After the war the remaining rounds were removed, over a hundred thousand
being found in the main ranges, and the shoreline was returned to civilian use.
The naturists who came early found that the larger shell and bomb craters made
excellent sun traps. Some others filled with impure water to become breeding
grounds for mosquitoes and midges of a very hard biting variety. Naturism
however continued to prosper, quite unofficially and against local laws until in
one particularly good season the local police raided the beach and prosecuted a
large number of sunbathers for naturist practices. Subsequently nudists became
much more wary and even more numerous whilst police inspection became regular
and normal. The object of these visits was to prevent thieves who reaped great
rewards by emptying the pockets of clothes and cars left unattended. Naturists
helped fighting against scrub fires which result from cigarette ends or other
accidental causes. The area mainly used by naturists is also noticeably free of
the litter which is the worst feature of the beach as a general rule.
It is very much to be hoped that the decision of the National Committee of
the National Trust will see fit to permit the use of at least a small area by
naturists. F.J.
*Alias Craven Walker
First published in Helios magazine, October 1963. The writer
also appears to have been an early fan of metrication!
