At first glance, Broadland Sun, surrounded by Norfolk woodland, looks like any other campsite in Britain, with empty pitches, static caravans and tents for holidaymakers to rent.
Except no one is wearing any clothes, including the staff who greet you. That’s because Broadland Sun is a members-only nudist site, run by a naturist committee since 1935.
We spoke to former manager Austin Redgrave, along with current temporary manager Tom Gilks, who revealed what it’s like to work there, how guests deal with the cold, and why there’s a laundromat.
The role of ranger is the only staff position at Broadland Sun and Austin notes that “day to day” it involves “being at the campsite, looking after the facilities (toilets, showers, pool maintenance), cleaning and looking after the guests.”
So far, everything is normal, but unlike other campsites, the guard is allowed to be naked.
The Broadland Sun Association campsite (above) is a nudist site for club members. MailOnline Travel spoke to former ranger Austin Redgrave and current temporary ranger Tom Gilks, who say nudity is expected at the campsite, except when it gets too cold.
Austin says: “There are lots of rules – the pool, sauna and solarium are nudist only areas.” Pictured: Guests enjoying the pool at Broadland Sun
Austin explains that he spent 50 percent of his time at work naked.
He continues: ‘I tried to spend as much time as possible doing things naked. I would greet customers naked. That didn’t bother me. I lived the lifestyle and got involved in it.
‘However, the reality is that in some jobs… you can’t be naked.
‘To be honest, there is a bit of etiquette. So if I was cleaning the bathroom, I wouldn’t do it naked because if I ended up in a stall and a guest came through the door behind me, they would have had to notice me. that Facing them, so, you know…’
And how much time do clients spend naked?
Most of the time, naked clothing is required, although exceptions are made depending on the weather.
Austin comments: ‘There are a lot of rules: the pool, sauna and solarium are exclusively nudist areas.
“It’s not a nudist site – the official rule is that when the weather is nice, nudity is expected. If it’s 30 degrees outside and you’re walking around in jeans and a t-shirt, that’s a problem and you’re probably not there for the right reasons.
‘The rest of the site is, in a way, based on temperature. If it’s five degrees Celsius outside, you can put on some clothes because it’s cold.
Broadland Sun also offers members access to a fishing lake, boules court, miniten (a tennis-like game created by naturists), badminton courts, a TV room, pool table, darts and a clubhouse.
Tom, the temporary guard, says: “I think that in a naturist campsite people have more freedom than in a hotel.”
“Nobody wants to be naked in that temperature, but there are people who have toughened up. There are people who endure a climate that makes you shiver and still walk around naked. And that’s great, to be honest, all the power to them.”
“But ultimately, if you’re shivering and you’re uncomfortable, why not put on some clothes to keep warm? A lot of people wear ponchos, or women wear sarongs.”
Tom adds: ‘The gorgeous British weather means some days aren’t really naked days.
‘Also, many of our members and visitors like to dress up in evening wear when they go to a social event.’
It is for these reasons that the campsite has a laundry available to guests, something that may surprise ‘textile’ (non-nudist) guests, who assume that there is nothing to wash.
In addition to a swimming pool, sauna, solarium and laundry, Broadland Sun campsite offers members access to a fishing lake, a pétanque court, miniten (a tennis-like game created by naturists), badminton courts, a TV room, a pool table, darts and a clubhouse.
Members pay £201 per year for unlimited daytime access to the site.
Austin says, “I tried to spend as much time as possible doing things naked. I would greet clients naked. That didn’t bother me. I was living the lifestyle and getting involved in it.” Above: Guests enjoy walks through the on-site forest
However, Broadland Sun also accepts non-members, and is proving a popular spot with first-time nudists.
Pitchup.com – an online booking site – has “changed the demographics of people coming and staying” at Broadland Sun, Austin says.
He says: ‘It’s introduced naturism to a lot of new people – people sit at home surfing, watch it and nudge each other saying ‘should we try it?’ and end up coming here and completely falling in love with it.’
Young people are also attracted to nudist holidays, even though naturism has a reputation for being old-fashioned.
Austin comments: ‘I think the demographic of the campsite is a bit older, but we’ve seen a massive increase in young couples staying with us.’
But what is it that draws people to camping over a traditional resort?
Tom says: “I think people have more freedom at a naturist campsite than in a hotel. Plus, we are a dog-friendly campsite and people don’t need to dress up to walk their dogs.”