Spielplatz (German for
playground
A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...
) is the longest-operating
naturist resort in United Kingdom, and consists of located in the village of
Bricket Wood, in the
English county
The counties of England are areas used for different purposes, which include administrative, geographical, cultural and political demarcation. The term "county" is defined in several ways and can apply to similar or the same areas used by each ...
of
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
. As of 2021, the resort consists of 65 houses.
History
Spielplatz was founded in 1929 by Charles Macaskie and his wife Dorothy. They moved from London into a tent on an area of virgin woodland they purchased near Bricket Wood. They called their
utopian camp the ''Green Monastery'' and a ''Play Place'' (Spielplatz).
They were joined by other couples and individuals on weekends. Among their visitors until 1947 was
Ross Nichols, founder of the
Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. In turn he attracted both fellow
Druids and
Gerald Gardner, who later established his first coven at Bricket Wood in his development of
Wicca as a modern religion.
It was at Spielplatz that Ross Nichols first met Gerald Gardner.
Spielplatz has featured in TV and films such as ''
Naked as Nature Intended
''Naked as Nature Intended'' (released in the United States under the title ''As Nature Intended'') is a 1961 British nudist film produced and directed by George Harrison Marks and starring Pamela Green. It was the first film from producers Tony ...
'' (1961) starring club member
Pamela Green
Phyllis Pamela Green (28 March 1929 – 7 May 2010) was an English glamour model and actress, best known at the end of the 1950s and early 1960s. She modeled for Zoltán Glass and his brother Stephen, Horace Roye, Jean Straker, Bill Brandt, ...
, ''Nudist Memories'' (1959) and ''
Confetti'' (2006).
In 1957 the documentary series ''
Out of Step'' on ITV, the investigative reporter
Dan Farson visited Spielplatz Naturist Club in Bricket Wood and interviewed Charles Macaskie, Mrs. Macaskie, and their daughter Iseult.
[Out of Step (1957) – Spielplatz ]
' It is claimed the programme was the first showing of a naked woman on British television.
See also
*
List of social nudity places in Europe
Notes and references
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
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Naturist resorts
Naturism in the United Kingdom
Tourist attractions in Hertfordshire
Clubs and societies in England
1929 establishments in England