NetNude - Hillside and Tything Barn, South Wales, Report

Hillside and Tything Barn,
South Wales, Report

This report is brought to you by alcuin brian.

The opinions expressed are those of the person(s) who submitted the report and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of NetNude.

Hillside and Tything Barn in South Wales.

July 1999.

G'day Campers!

I've just spent a marvellous two weeks camping in South Wales (remember, I live in Britain, so it's Welsh Wales!) 'Hillside', the first camping site, and Tything Barn the second, are both fully naturist sites used by Sun- treckers (a 'non-landed club' member of British Naturism). I was nude all the time on site except for very cool late evening events. Both sites are basic in amenities - I guess some of our trans-atlantic cousins might call them rustic. No pool at 'Hillside', and swim in the tidal lagoon at Tything Barn!

It's delightfully refreshing to wake with the early morning sun glowing through the tent walls and emerge nude into the welcoming clean air to make ones way to the toilet and shower. After 'ablutions' I enjoyed a session of T'ai Chi exercises, Chi-Qung breathing and meditation, and one or two sets of the 24 step T'ai Chi Form on the dewy grass before breakfast. A pleasantly rejuvenating time for mind, body, and spirit - and a very important part of the holiday for me.

June and Peter the owners of 'Hillside' have some great barbecues (two during the week). Lots of sun. We all went out for that fish supper at Saundersfoot one evening, we played 'Dingbats' on two evenings in the chalet 'clubhouse'; and had morning coffee at 10:30 every morning, an excellent place.

The second place was at the site of an estuary oyster farm with miles of land to roam (keep an eye on the tide!), but it was definitely more impersonal although the rally organiser put on some social events and ran a quiz, and a coffee morning. Due to the slightly cooler, duller weather that week I spent a lot of time touring the local historical sites and taking photographs.

I went to one ruined church on Slebech private estate. There was a public footpath which was part of the Knights Way, a route used by the Knights Templar on their way to embark for the Holy Land a little farther up the estuary. The church was dedicated (still consecrated) to St John the Baptist. It was a powerfully spiritual place.

Walking back to the car I exchanged words with a married couple of about my own age. I said where I'd just been, and the woman said that there was in fact a service of evensong at the church on the Sunday, she was in the choir, and I was welcome to attend if I wished... so I did! It was a yearly event to commemorate the annual achievements and past history of all the St John's Ambulance Brigade in Pembrokeshire. The St John's Brigade being the direct descendants of the ancient order of the Knights of St John..

They had the local brass band to play, gave out medals at a parade in front of the 'Big House' (awful architecture - bastard Gaumont British with georgian pretensions!), then we all (band as well) walked down to the church where they had set out chairs amid the ruins, an altar and flowers (there are fresh flowers there every day in the deserted ruins), and one local vicar, one visiting from Oxford, one retired bishop, and another, conducted service with music from the band. An experience I would have hated to miss. They even had a medieaval sword reclaimed from the mud around an island just close by in the estuary. It was on the altar - a real sword of a Knight of the Order of St John, (at least it had a very good chance of being...) and was processed in, and out, of the church at beginning and end of the service. Very impressive.

It was interesting that in talking to the married couple, who were wearing sweat-shirts with 'Naturalist Society...etc' on them, I mentioned that I was moving a little further away on Saturday, they said whereabouts, I said Tything Barn, the husband said, "Isn't that a ... hmmm?". "Yes", I said with a smile, "It's a naturist site". He commented with amusement that it had been known for themselves to be identified with the wrong hobby because of the logo on their shirts! There was not the slightest change in their warm & welcoming manner. A clear example of how openness about naturism will be well received by practically anyone with whom one would wish to be associated.

Driving back home through the heart of Wales I stopped on the road from Dolgellau to Bala where there was a clearing at the side of the road with a track leading into a part of the forest that had been thinned out a little. I took some bread and fruit, and bottled spring water, walked ten minutes into the wood to a pleasant sunny clearing, took off my clothes and spent a relaxing half hour sitting on a log in the early evening sun eating my light meal.

There was another car in the road side clearing when I returned, with a middle aged couple sittng with the doors open eating their own snack. Rather typical I thought, cars whizzing past, practically no-one with time to stop, and when someone else does they sit at the side of the road, with beautiful forest all around them... no adventure left - no curiosity - no wish to get closer to nature, to be alone with God's creation. Happy in my sixty six years I felt curiously richer than the un-adventurous middle aged couple.

Love and Reiki, brian