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General
Taddiford Gap is east of Bournemouth, midway between Barton on Sea and
Milford on Sea. It can be reached both from Barton and from Milford.
Access & Parking
From the west (Bournemouth and Christchurch) approach along the A337
signed for Milford on Sea and turn right for Barton on Sea. At the
seafront turn left and keep going until you reach the cliff top car park
at the end of the no through road.
From the north, take exit 1 off the M27 to Lyndhurst and then the A35 for Christchurch. Before Christchurch turn left onto the B3058 for New Milton. In New Milton follow the signs for Barton on Sea. In Barton on Sea turn left at the seafront and keep going until you reach the cliff top car park at the end of the no through road.
From the Pay and Display car park in Barton on Sea (£2 for 4 hours) walk half a mile east along the cliff top path. Go across the pathway bridge, then head down the gully. At the beach turn left. There used to be "a really ugly steel barrier" at this point, but it has now gone [see below]. Clamber over the rocks and, hey presto, you're on the naturist beach.
The beach can also be reached from the other direction, by parking in Milford on Sea and walking west.
Description
The beach is the usual south coast pebbles with some sand when the tide
goes out. The cliff top walk is a little way back from the edge of the
crumbling mudstone, but many of those walking and cycling along the coast
path take diversions to the cliff edge - sometimes sitting for quite a
while, relaxing and enjoying the view. These people are clearly visible
from most of the beach, and the nuddies are clearly visible from the cliff
top, which is never higher than 25m/80', so the beach is overlooked,
but the overlooking is not a problem.
Because the beaches at Barton and Milford are so long textiles do not need to journey this far to find space and consequently the naturist section is quite secluded. Although there is no sign announcing it, and this is not an "official" beach, this is nevertheless a genuine naturist beach.
Facilities
None on the beach, but Barton or Milton will have everything you might
need.
Water Quality
The water is clear and looks OK for bathing. No information is available
on the technical water quality.
Trip Report: July 2005
"Apart form walking along heavy shingle, the only access to the beach is at the gap. It is exceedingly scruffy and a complete turn off, clearly marked with official signs as "dangerous - no beach access" from Milford to Barton."
Trip Report: August 2004
"We parked at the pay-and-display carpark at SZ 263926, close to where the B3058 dips to cross Danes Stream - the stream valley forms "Taddiford Gap" in the relatively level coast. Parking costs £1.20 per hour. Then it's only a few hundred yards along the clearly-marked footpath from the corner of the carpark straight to the coast. The (well-used) coast path is close to the edge of the low cliff, with great views. Walking a few feet to the top of the cliff, nude bodies were clearly visible only tens of yards away. We climbed down the sandy cliff to the pebble beach and turned right, trudging along the firm shingle, past one nude after about fifty yards, then another fifty yards further on. (Note that sand only appears for a couple of hours either side of low tide.) More or less in the middle of what we took to be the nudity-accepted zone, we stopped at what seemed like a good place (SZ 258924), perhaps forty yards from a nude male/female couple, with another single man a further forty yards further on.
The views are excellent, from Hurst Castle round to The Needles to the east, from Christchurch and Hengistbury Head round to Old Harry and Durlston Head to the west. There was much evidence of cliff erosion, with many small mudslides drying out - when completely dry these can be very comfortable sunbeds! On the other hand, the amount of plastic debris above the high-water mark was considerable. Most of it appeared to have been thrown up by the sea rather than having been left behind by users of this beach.
I had a walk along the beach and over the small promontory at SZ 254926. This took me towards the end of the gully used as the western access route detailed by NUFF (shown on the OS map as "Beckton's Bunny" - "Taddiford Gap" is at the other end of the clothes-optional beach, as noted above). The rusty steel structure has indeed gone, as reported by Mark M, with just a few scraps of debris left to show where it was.
The clothes-optional beach runs from approximately SZ 260923 to the promontory, so is about 700m long. This was vastly more than enough space for those using it while we were there - never more than a dozen nuddies all told, mostly men in singles and couples. One textile family walked past along the beach, eyes resolutely kept away from the nudity (except for the teenage girl in the group, who was clearly curious but only felt able to make covert glances).
One beach user told us that the car park for the western access to the beach is free, but we did not attempt to check this. He also said that there are lots of gays using the beach, most of them men. I can't comment on which end of the beach is the gay end, which end the family end (the NUFF page includes a report dated "2004" stating the former is the Barton, west, end).
A nice beach, and we'll probably go again. Next time we may try using the train to get to Barton, then bike to somewhere we can secure the bikes, then walk along the shingle."
Trip Report: 2004
"I live in barton on sea and use the beach often . I must agree that the litter needs attention at times, but this is a lovely stretch of beach that is never packed with people. I think the most I have seen was about ten or twelve people. As I understand the Barton end of the beach is mainly used by gay men and woman, the middle beach used by straight people and the far end by people with kids. There has never been any unpleasantness there or disapproving looks from walkers by and people are always welcoming and friendly. Unfortunatly you can be overlooked from the cliftop at parts but this still remains a great beach."
Trip Report: 2003 - by Mark M
I was in the New Forest last week staying with friends, so looked up in NUFF for nudist beaches. Taddiford Gap was convenient so I arranged to walk from Milford- to Barton-on Sea, hoping to have a nude swim en-route.
On a very hot and sunny August Wednesday, the Milford beach was packed, and I didn't think there would be too much chance of finding anywhere secluded enough for naturists on the 3-miles before I reached Barton. But I was very wrong - when I got there the 5-600 yard stretch was occupied only by 8-10 men and 2-3 couples, and a few textiles walking along the beach. (Amazing that so many people pack into the stony & crowded textile beaches nearby, and so few use this one!)
All in all, this beach was a very pleasant surprise, and very accessible too - assuming you can get through the New Forest traffic in the first place!
I can add a few comments to the existing beach report :
Trip Report: Monday 22nd July 2002 - by MikeR
I visited Taddiford Gap on a warm but not hot Monday afternoon. Having
just come from a naturist-free Durdle Dor I was fully expecting a deserted
Taddiford Gap. I scrambled across the rocky barrier beside the steel
shuttering and was greeted by a pebble and sand beach and a few figures in
the distance. I wasn't sure if this was the naturist beach, but at least
there was someone here.
Setting off along the sand I first passed a lone naturist male, then two naturist males standing chatting at the water's edge. Having passed them it was clear that this was a bona fide naturist beach and I felt confident enough to shed the togs. Walking along further I passed two more males a hundred yards from each other, then a windbreak belonging to a couple who were wading way out in the sea - the flat sand must extend a long way. There were two more lone males before I reached what I assumed to be the end of the naturist section, though it may well extend further towards Milton. And not a textile in sight!
Although the clientele on this day was mostly single males I would guess that couples and families regularly use this beach - I would be interested to hear of other's experiences. This is a beach where you will feel comfortable sunbathing, walking and splashing around naked in the sea.
On so many other beaches one feels obliged to hide behind a groyne or at least stay put for fear of giving offence. This is one of the few, along with Studland and Fairlight, where I felt quite uninhibited about walking unclothed along the water's edge. I'd rate this beach 7 out of 10.
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