It’s 4.50pm at the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park — 10 minutes before ‘disrobing’ time.

Some visitors had not left before the start of last year’s naked walk so disrobing time has been put back an hour to avoid any embarrassment.

Participants gather at the entrance hut where a cheerful man from British Naturism, wearing a T-shirt saying, ‘I’ve got nothing on later’, checks people in.

A colleague hands out medals — not just for taking part but also for raising money for the British Heart Foundation, on whose behalf British Naturism organises a series of naked walks.

At 5pm, clothes are whipped off and people march to the tennis court for a photoshoot with a British Naturism photographer where the Stray Ferret, feeling self-consciously clothed, appeals to anyone willing to discuss the lifestyle to talk to us.

As the walk begins, a man called Dean sidles up and says he sometimes drives naked. How does that go down? “Nobody really notices, except the odd HGV driver,” he says.

For the next three hours, this beauty spot between Masham and Ripon becomes naturist heaven, as some 50-plus bodies roam around the sculptures, lakes and arboretum unshackled by nylon or judgement. Clothing is optional, but the vast majority are naked.

Organiser Ron O’Hare, British Naturism’s north-west regional coordinator, says this is the fourth Himalayan Garden naked walk. “The more we do, the more it becomes normalised and erodes the taboo,” he says.

Ron and Elizabeth, his wife of 49 years, are members of Lancashire Sun, a naturist club near Ormskirk. Some of today’s attendees are going to Valley Sun Club, a naturist venue in Harrogate, after the walk to maintain the naked vibe.

British Naturism, says Ron, has 8,473 members. Numbers rose during covid – when housebound people discovered the joys of walking around their living room au naturel and taking part in online naked discos – but have fallen back slightly since.

Ron is open about his lifestyle and happy to give his full name. “Most people are totally accepting,” he says. But others preferred to use only their first names.

Don't mention the weather

As we head into the gardens, we say to Andrew and Jill that it isn’t as warm as forecast. “People wearing clothes complain the most about the cold,” says Andrew pointedly. The weather isn't mentioned again.

A lovely couple, they attend numerous naturist events, including last month’s NudeFest in Somerset, which included everything from a gig by The Wurzels — presumably clothed — to clay pigeon shooting.

“The idea of this event is to encourage people who haven’t done it before to do so in a safe environment,” says Andrew.

There are plenty of single men and quite a few couples, but no single women are noticed. This isn’t unusual: 71% of British Naturism members are men. Few women have the courage to attend alone. Jill has suggested her local sun club holds women-only massage and beauty events to boost numbers, but the idea hasn’t generated much enthusiasm.

Many naturists discover the scene later in life on foreign holidays and most club members are over 60. Twenty-nine-year-old James, from Preston, however, says it’s important to distinguish between organised and unorganised events. 

James, who is the youth officer for the International Naturist Federation, of which British Naturism is a member, says far more young people take part in off-the-cuff events such as skinny dipping. A British Naturism survey in 2022 revealed seven million Britons describe themselves as naturists or nudists.

“The number of young people is definitely increasing,” says photographer Jon, whose media role means he is constantly fighting social media auto-detection AI bots, which routinely remove content. “A nipple is the most dangerous thing,” he says.  

Lumps and bumps

What makes people travel hours to enjoy three hours of nakedness in North Yorkshire?

Some talk about a sense of exhilaration and shedding inhibitions but the most common reason we heard was self-acceptance. Being naked is a great leveller — everyone looks similar, with lumps and bumps, and nobody feels judged.

“I was conscious about my weight until I discovered naturism,” says Jon. “Then I saw people of all shapes and realised we really are all the same.”

There’s certainly nothing sexy or smutty about the gathering. What’s most striking about the gathering is its normality. People order drinks from a refreshment van, wander round and admire the plants and sculptures.

Paul and Michael, two men from Newcastle whose wives know they are here, are long-term naturists.

Paul says: “The first time I did it I felt at ease with myself and part of everything around me. There’s a lot of talk about mindfulness these days, which ties in with this. You drop the mask.” 

Michael adds: “And as you get older you don’t give a toss what others think.”

If you’re tempted to try, look for details of naked walks on the British Naturism website. And don’t forget the golden rule: always carry a towel — wooden benches and bare backsides are a bad combination.