Spielplatz Knowpia

Spielplatz (German for playground) is the longest-operating naturist resort in United Kingdom, and consists of 12 acres (4.9 ha) located in the village of Bricket Wood, in the English county of Hertfordshire. As of 2021, the resort consists of 65 houses.^[1]

History edit

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.^[2] 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).^[3]

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.^[4]

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.^[5] It is claimed the programme was the first showing of a naked woman on British television.

Notes and references edit

^ "Nudisten". Lauren! (in Dutch). 11 January 2016. 12 minutes in. AVROTROS. NPO3.
^ Carr-Gomm, Philip (2011). Druid Mysteries: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century. Ebury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4464-4589-1.
^ "A History of Naturism - Timeline". British Naturism. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
^ "Nudist Life at Spielplatz". Pamela Green: Never Knowingly Overdressed.
^ Out of Step (1957) – Spielplatz [1]