'I went to UK's best nudist beach - it's a hidden paradise worthy of the Med'
One of the country's most handsome and popular nudist beaches is hidden down a winding fern strewn path in a secluded bay.
It is perhaps not surprising that the best known naturist beaches in the country are fairly exposed to the rest of the clothes wearing public.
Arguably the most famous of the genre is the appropriately named Studland in Dorset, a long, sandy stretch of beach demarked by a small sign declaring its status as a trunks-off zone.
Those baring all in such places need be fairly confident to do so, given how regularly coachloads of tourists and beer-soaked stag parties prone to finding the naked body very funny wander off the regular beach into the lewd zone.
While the nudist community may be full of characters confident enough to deal with such a high level of publicity, for those who enjoy dropping-trou in a little more privacy - or remaining togged in a relaxing and secluded setting - then Fairlight Glen near Hastings, Kent is probably the place to go.
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While I am more in the latter camp, I've spent many a day roasting in the occasionally British sunshine on its pebbles and find it hard to imagine there's a spot anywhere on the south coast that can beat it.
From the east and west the beach is cut off from the rest of the coast for much of the day by the swelling tide, making the only reliable way to reach it via a winding woodland track.
Most visitors park at the top of the hill and then walk down, scrambling down the hillier parts, hopping over logs and taking time to appreciate streams that tumble into little waterfalls beneath the thick tree cover.
The trees on the path down are densely packed and verdant, giving the place a slightly Jurassic feel on a hot summer's day when the air mists up and the fern leaves begin to glisten.
After a mile long walk in the relative gloom, beach goers suddenly burst out of the trees into the light of the day and into Fairlight proper.
At parts the pebbles give way to sand closer to the water (Owen Boyd)To either side of the beach 30m cliffs form a bay, providing a sense of seclusion from the world and plenty of large flat stones at their base where you can lay down your towel and relax.
The sandstone and clay mix of the cliffs produce an almost gold colour in the evening sun, which gives Fairlight the feel of being somewhere much closer to the Mediterranean than it really is.
As a child I loved scrambling down the hillside on the way to the beach, swinging off the long rope helpfully strung along the steepest part to help you up after a long day in the sun.
The actual beach is made up of rocks rather than sand, but they're small and rounded enough not to hurt your feet as you plod down into the sea waves.
The water is as warm here as pretty much anywhere in the UK and can be eased into along a beach surface that helpfully turns from stones to sand as you wander in a little deeper.
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Around closer to the headland pieces of rock that've fallen from the cliffs have formed pools where I once spent many an hour crabbing and poking my finger into anemones.
The cliffs give the beach a secluded, cut-off feel (Owen Boyd)The beach has technically been closed for several years after landslips destroyed the wooden steps built into the cliffs, yet that hasn't stopped the committed from carving their own into the hill and making the pilgrimage whenever the sun is shining.
What's particularly pleasant about the beach is its friendly atmosphere. If you choose to remain fully clothed, you are unlikely to receive any critical glances from members of 'the community'.
Many trouser-wearers come down to support a loved one in the midst of a nudist phase or to check out the wildflowers that grow in the woodlands during the summer months.
A mark of how nice an atmosphere there is down in the Glen is the wide the age range of beachgoers, and how the idea of going with my parents didn't completely appal me in my young years.
A tree warns of nudity ahead (Owen Boyd)On occasion rare birds find their way to the area from the Continent while pods of dolphins can be spotted splashing around on the horizon, if you're very lucky.
Fairlight is very much a beach that needs to be planned for. The walk down can become too slippery on wet days to be tackled without sturdy shoes, and an intimidating trek on the way home if you leave leaving too late.
There are no amenities anywhere near by, so bringing a picnic or food to barbecue on a fire is recommended, unless you're feeling brave enough to ask a fellow beachgoer for a share of their packed lunch.
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