Today, March 18th, has been the warmest day we've had this year. Up here in the Pennines, Spring is considerably later compared to 'down South' but today was one of those balmy, sunny ones which it was impossible to resist! The sunshine makes everybody's hearts feel glad and lifts spirits.
The temperature was topping 16 celsius but it felt even warmer in the sun, in spite of a cool east-south-easterly breeze. We made for the forest. Once again we met hardly a soul.
Gisburn Forest has undergone changes over almost a hundred years of being here. I used to orienteer here with my school team. The Forestry Commission looked after it then. There were many side paths, connecting the main rides at that time. Some were signposted at the time with simple wooden finger posts. The many streams which thread the forest were often crossed on walkways that prevented you sinking into the soggy, mossy ground.
The present owners: Forestry England, together with United Utilities, now have a different approach. They have carved mountain bike tracks through parts of the forest and way marked hiking routes following the main gravel based roads. They are pleasant. A few follow parts of the old footpaths. All are a marked with coloured markers.
At first glance, the old forest footpaths seem to have completely disappeared. The signposts have all but gone. Those that remain are grey, decayed and often covered with moss. Following these paths isn't encouraged and they have simply been neglected and left to rot. They have a decayed and abandoned feel but they still abound if you look carefully. They make great places to enjoy walking, naked and free as we all need to do.
Take care if you do what we did today. The old board walks are moss covered and at times slippery if it has been at all damp and wet. You can walk barefoot, as I did here, but watch out for splinters!
If you do, you will be rewarded with the most tranquil, beautiful and peaceful experiences. The wood was still today; no whooshing of branches in the wind overhead. There was birdsong however; chaffinches, goldcrests, robins, wrens, thrushes and more. We glimpsed the white rumps of roe deer, wandering the forest even more quietly than ourselves.
This is a magical, almost Tolkeinish sort of place. The magic feels ancient, from a time when these trees were much much smaller. Now, like silent giants they reach way overhead, witnessing our quiet progress among their living, breathing selves.
Here, you can be at one with yourself and your environment. No longer barriered by clothing; bereft of any insulation from the cool breeze and moss beneath your feet, you can step out as you are meant to. You are now part of the forest itself, no longer out of step with its rhythms and cadences. This is natural you, not the fake textile clad one; just you as the Creator made you.
Gisburn Forest can be reached on the minor road which begins at Copy Nook, Lancashire and climbs over Bowland Knotts to Clapham, North Yorkshire. The forest starts at the foot of the steep climb to the pass. There is a car park and a small cafe at the Forest Hub. The forest is however immense and the footpaths and trails many.
All photos of me were made by my professional photographer husband Martin who retains copyright. Shots of him were made by me, using his camera.
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I hope you enjoyed this post. Do tell me if you did. If it inspired you, I wish you Happy Naturist Hiking this year, 2026.
