Who Are We?

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Blackthorns Sun Club was founded in 1959, and since 1969 has been developing its site near Sharnbrook in rural north Bedfordshire. This website provides an overview of the Club and its facilities. If it whets your appetite and you would like to know more, details of how to contact us are elsewhere on this site.

What does Blackthorns offer?

The Club owns some 6.5 hectares of semi-ancient woodland, which has been designated by the local authority as a County Wildlife Site. As this implies, the woodland is a haven for wildlife including deer, but it now also accommodates an ever growing range of facilities for naturist recreation.

Principally, of course, Blackthorns offers the opportunity to strip off and enjoy rest and recreation without the encumbrance of clothes. You may even get an all-over tan!

Total relaxation is the aim, and as you step through the gate you leave the hustle and bustle of everyday life as the calm of the woods wraps around you.

Several lawns, and woodland clearings, allow the Members to meet and laze away the hours. Around the main lawn are the pavilion, children’s pavilion, the large swimming pool, shower and toilet block, and the communal bar-b-q. The pavilion is the social heart of Blackthorns, and light refreshments are usually available during the day. In other clearings there are courts for miniten, badminton, volleyball and petanque, a 9-hole crazy golf course, and a kiddies’ playground. Naturally, the woods provide unlimited scope for the children to play. Blackthorns has a static caravan for hire and electric hook-ups for touring caravans.

A varied programme of sports and social events runs right through the year. Sports events combine the serious and the fun variety, and Blackthorns participates in, and hosts, national and regional competitions. Social events range from the Saturday evening “communal” bar-b-q to more formal dinners, but also encompass discos – many with fancy dress themes, birthday parties, quizzes and more challenging events! At evening events clothes are usually worn.

Full details of Blackthorns' facilities and sporting activities can be found on other pages within this website

In all of these activities we endeavour to fully involve the children – from the tiny tot to the strapping teenager. The older teenagers are encouraged to become involved in the day-to-day running of Blackthorns, and give valuable assistance in many ways. Tomorrow’s naturists receive every encouragement at Blackthorns.

To keep everyone informed a full programme of events is published, and each month our own newsletter – The ‘Thorns' – is sent to all members to report events in the previous month and to provide details of forthcoming sports and social events.

Blackthorns’ Members

The Members come principally from Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Milton Keynes. They are drawn from all walks of life and from all age groups, and comprise families, couples and single people.

Apart from relaxing, the Members help to run the canteen and sports and social events, and we do all of our own woodland management, building and maintenance work. In this way, Blackthorns enjoys the expert advice from its Members and is also able to keep the subscription to a reasonable level.

Blackthorns’ Memberships

Blackthorns is itself a member of British Naturism, the Association of British Naturist Clubs, the Royal Life Saving Society, and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. The Club encourages its Members to be individual members of British Naturism, the national body for naturists.