Norfolk nudist beach seeks warden to ‘engage with visitors in the dunes’

Naturists have previously been banned from the beach after issues with people having sex in public

(Holkham Estate )

Holkham Hall in Norfolk is seeking a beach warden to provide “checks and engagement” with visitors to their nudist beach.

The 18th century estate, still lived in by the Earl of Leicester and his family, hopes to employ a “persistent and enthusiastic team player” to manage the beach in the summer months.

The seasonal warden will have multiple duties, including carrying out regular inspections and basic repairs of beach infrastructure in Holkham Bay.

They will also have to be prepared to engage with visitors to the strip of beach and nearby dunes popular with naturists “on particularly hot days”.

The beach was made famous by Shakespeare in Love, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, after some of the film’s scenes were shot there in the late 1990s.

The nudist section of the beach is continuous with the beach of Wells-next-the-Sea on Norfolk’s north coast and is open for public use.

Nudism was briefly banned in 2013 by Holkham Estate, which owns the beach, following reports of people having sex in public.

It was reinstated after non-profit British Naturism threatened legal action, claiming that implementing the ban, which could affect up to 1,000 people per day, was like “using a sledgehammer to crack a nut”.

Beach-going is likely to be a popular activity this summer as Britain sees a surge in bookings for “staycations”.

With the possibility of foreign holidays still uncertain, Brits are looking forward to hitting the beach after lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Last week, a scientific government adviser said no Covid outbreak has ever been linked to a beach.

Wells-next-the-Sea is a favourite spot of locals and tourists alike, attracting north of 10,000 visitors each year during the peak holiday season.