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 wi ...
) 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 a type of subdivision of England. Counties have been used as administrative areas in England since Anglo-Saxon times. There are three definitions of county in England: the 48 ceremonial counties used for the purpo ...
of
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
. 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
A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia'', which describes a fictional island soci ...
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
Philip Peter Ross Nichols (28 June 1902 – 30 April 1975) was a Cambridge academic and published poet, artist and historian, who founded the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids in 1964. He wrote prolifically on the subjects of Druidism and Celt ...
, founder of the
Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids
The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids or OBOD is a Neo-Druidic order based in England, but based in part on the Welsh Gorsedd of Bards. It has grown to become a dynamic druid organisation, with members in all parts of the world.
The concept of ...
. In turn he attracted both fellow
Druids
A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. The druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no wr ...
and
Gerald Gardner, who later established his first coven at Bricket Wood in his development of
Wicca
Wicca (), also known as "The Craft", is a Modern paganism, modern pagan, syncretic, Earth religion, Earth-centred religion. Considered a new religious movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion, the path evolved from Western esote ...
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'' (1961) starring club member
Pamela Green, ''Nudist Memories'' (1959) and ''
Confetti'' (2006).
In 1956, The Naturist Ltd. published ''Nudist Life at Spielplatz'', "The Story of a Modern Experiment in the Art of Living" by Charles Sennet, with a supplement of photographs by
Stephen Glass.
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.
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