Adlington Hall is a beautiful country house in Cheshire. Dave and I had never visited it, and the 20 July British Naturism Naked Heart Walk there was a new experience for us on two accounts. It was a trip to a place that looks to be perfectly preserved in the 16th-17th centuries and - even better – it was our first naked walk.
The estate is hidden away (so hidden, in fact, that we got briefly lost), and my first impression of it was, “Wow. It feels like we’ve stepped back in time.” Yes, I know, there are stately piles all over Britain, but this one felt small, intimate and welcoming.
The house itself was closed, but BN had taken over part of the adjoining wood. We stripped off in a tent, then joined fellow walkers on a 2k walk through the wood, crossing over to another part of the grounds where there’s a yew maze, and then back to the registration area. The weather – which, of course, I must mention – was much cooler than it had been the previous two days, with a fresh breeze.
The wood itself was magical. As we approached the registration area, we passed under a tall canopy of trees forming a shaded avenue. The path through the wood brought lots of surprises. There were immense pine and other types of trees, some with fantastical shapes. There were little stone bridges and one longer wooden one, which we crossed over along the way. The remains of an old stone building were covered with lush green moss. The path was occasionally shaded by a canopy of trees, reminding me of being a kid playing in a pine-covered, secret “house” in the woods.
But enough about the vegetation!
The NHW attracted around 40 walkers. We were in the first group and met, along with several long-time naturists, three newbies.
One young couple, Emma and Max, said they’d learned of the walk when Emma’s mother sent a Facebook link with the comment, “This is something you’ll do.” Emma took up the challenge, but on the drive over, she and Max said the idea of getting naked and going outside was “scary” because it wasn’t something they were used to. They’re not scared anymore, and agreed they’d do something like this again.
The walk was “exhilarating and free,” and he’d do it again, newcomer-to-Naturism John said.
After our walk, we hung around the registration area with old and new friends and enjoyed the sunshine. We agreed that walking sans clothing was great fun and we’re up for repeating the experience!
Organisers John Rodgers and Ron O’Hare praised the helpfulness of the staff at Adlington Hall and the three volunteers who helped run the event.