Is there a nudist beach in Brighton? Where it is and how to visit
People ask me this on the bus at least once a week, so here is the honest, practical answer to Brighton's most whispered-about stretch of shingle.
Written with Oliver Bennett, Brighton bus tour guide & local sightseeing specialist
Short answer
Yes. Brighton's naturist beach sits at the eastern end of the seafront near Duke's Mound and Kemp Town, just short of the Marina. It opened on 1 April 1980 as the first official public naturist beach in the UK, and it is still there today, a roughly 100-metre shingle stretch screened by banks of pebbles.
East of the Palace Pier the promenade thins out, the crowds fall away, and the shingle steepens into low banks of pebbles. Keep walking, past the arches and the beached fishing boats, and you reach a quiet stretch that put Brighton in the national news in 1980. People still lean over on the bus and ask me, half-embarrassed, whether it is actually there. It is. Here is the plain version: where it sits, how it started, and how to get to that end of town without a long trudge.
Is there a nudist beach in Brighton?
Yes. Brighton's naturist beach sits at the eastern end of the seafront near Duke's Mound and Kemp Town, just short of the Marina. It opened on 1 April 1980 as the first official public naturist beach in the UK, and it is still there today, a roughly 100-metre shingle stretch screened by tall banks of pebbles so you will not wander onto it by accident.
Nothing about it has been quietly closed or moved, despite the rumours that circulate every few summers. It is a working, council-recognised part of the seafront, marked and left alone. Nudity there is optional rather than expected, and clothed walkers pass along the promenade above it all day without a second glance. The mound of pebbles that screens it does most of the diplomatic work.
Where exactly is the naturist beach in Brighton?
It runs along the far eastern end of Brighton's seafront in the Kemp Town area, about a mile east of the Palace Pier and just before Brighton Marina. Officially it carries the name Cliff Bathing Beach. Steep banks of shingle screen it from the lower promenade, and it sits opposite Duke's Mound, the sloping road that climbs back up into Kemp Town.
This is the calm end of the coast. West of the pier you get the arcades, the bars and the crowds; east of it the seafront empties out into fishing arches, the volleyball courts and then this. The naturist section is short, a hundred metres or so, and it butts up against Black Rock and the Marina wall. Because it sits below the Kemp Town cliff and behind those pebble banks, it stays private in feel even though the promenade runs right past.
Official name
Cliff Bathing Beach (Brighton's naturist beach)
Location
Eastern seafront, near Duke's Mound and Kemp Town, just west of the Marina
Opened
1 April 1980, the UK's first official public naturist beach
Surface
Shingle, roughly 100 metres, screened by banks of pebbles
Distance from Palace Pier
About a mile east along the seafront
Lifeguard cover
No dedicated cover; standard Brighton sea-safety rules apply
When did Brighton's naturist beach open, and why there?
Brighton Council approved a 200-yard naturist section in 1979, and the beach opened on 1 April 1980. It was the first designated naturist beach on the seafront of a major British resort. The proposal drew loud objections at the time, with critics warning it would attract voyeurs, but the beach stuck, and it has run every summer since.
The choice of spot was practical. This eastern stretch was already quiet, screened by shingle and set apart from the family beaches around the pier, so it needed little fencing to keep it discreet. More than forty-five years on it still works the same way, and Brighton tends to note the anniversary as a small piece of seaside history. The tourist board is matter-of-fact about it: Visit Brighton lists the beach openly and calls it Britain's most accessible naturist beach, close to the town centre rather than tucked miles out of the way.
How do you get to the naturist beach in Brighton?
Walk east along the lower promenade from the Palace Pier for about 20 to 25 minutes, or ride Volk's Electric Railway to its Black Rock terminus and walk five minutes back west. The open-top sightseeing bus also reaches this end of town: Stop 12 at Paston Place sits by Volk's Railway in Kemptown, a short stroll from the eastern beaches.
For most people the pretty way is the seafront itself. From the pier you pass the fishing museum, the arches and Volk's Railway, and the crowds drop off with every hundred metres. Volk's Electric Railway, the oldest operating electric railway in the world, runs a scenic line right along this stretch in season and drops you at Black Rock by the Marina. If your legs are done for the day, the open-top loop is the easy option: it carries you the length of the front and out to Kemptown, so you can save your walking for the beach itself.
Route from the Palace Pier
Roughly how long
Good for
Walk the lower promenade east
20 to 25 min
The scenic, free option past the fishing arches
Volk's Electric Railway to Black Rock
About 15 min, then a 5-min walk
A seasonal seafront ride to the Marina end
Open-top bus to Stop 12, Paston Place
Part of the wider loop
Resting your feet and seeing the rest of town too
The east end is where the sightseeing loop earns its keep, because the sights out here are spread thin. If you are pairing the seafront with the Marina, Volk's Railway and Kemptown in one afternoon, the open-top bus links them without a long walk between each, and you can check live availability & prices on Viator before you set off. The ticket also covers the ordinary city buses, which is handy if the weather turns and you want a roof.
What are the rules and etiquette on the beach?
Nudity is optional, not required, so clothed visitors are welcome as long as they behave. Photography of other people is not on, and neither is staring or hanging around the edges. There is no dedicated lifeguard, so ordinary Brighton sea-safety sense applies. Bring something to sit on, since the whole beach is shingle rather than sand.
The etiquette is really just common courtesy. People come here to relax without being a spectacle, so the one rule everyone cares about is no cameras pointed at strangers. It is a family-friendly stretch in the naturist sense, calm and unremarkable in practice, and far less dramatic than first-timers expect. Facilities are thin on the ground out here, so use the loos and cafes back nearer the pier before you commit to the walk.
Viator Badge of Excellence
Best for first-time visitors, families and short stays
City Sightseeing Brighton Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
4.6across 162 Viator reviews, 93% recommend · 4.5 on Tripadvisor (#1 of 32 transport in Brighton)
Open-top double-decker on a 12-stop Red Route, from Palace Pier to Brighton Marina, about a 50-minute full loop
Hop on and off all day; choose a 1-day or 2-day ticket that also covers Brighton & Hove city buses
Recorded commentary in 7 languages with free headphones, plus 30% off SEA LIFE and 15% off the Royal Pavilion
From $20 per adult, shown for your date and currency on Viator
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Ratings are the operator's current Viator and Tripadvisor figures; check the listing for today's price.
Common questions about Brighton's nudist beach
Is Brighton's nudist beach still open?
Yes. It has run every summer since 1 April 1980 and remains a recognised part of the seafront near Duke's Mound and Kemp Town. Nothing has been closed or relocated, despite the rumours that resurface most years.
Do you have to be naked on the beach?
No. Nudity is optional, and clothed visitors are welcome to walk through or sit, provided they are respectful and do not photograph anyone. Many people use the quieter east-end shingle simply because it is calmer than the beaches by the pier.
How far is the naturist beach from Brighton Pier?
About a mile east along the seafront, roughly a 20 to 25 minute walk on the lower promenade. Volk's Electric Railway runs most of the way to Black Rock in season, and the open-top bus reaches Kemptown at Stop 12, Paston Place.
What is the naturist beach officially called?
Its official name is the Cliff Bathing Beach. Locals and signs usually just call it the naturist or nudist beach. It sits opposite Duke's Mound, the road that climbs back up into Kemp Town.
Is there a lifeguard at the naturist beach?
There is no dedicated lifeguard on that stretch, so treat the water as you would any unpatrolled part of the coast. The shingle shelves steeply and the tide moves fast, so take the usual care, especially with children.
Can you get to the east-end beaches by bus?
Yes. The open-top sightseeing loop runs the whole seafront out to the Marina and Kemptown, and its ticket also covers the regular city buses. It is the easy way to reach this spread-out end of town without a long walk.
See the whole seafront in one loop
The open-top bus links the pier, the Lanes and the east-end beaches. Check today's fares and times on Viator.
