BEACH HUT FACTS

HISTORY In the 1700s, as doctors began to prescribe the cold sea water as a cure for multiple illnesses, people started travelling to the seaside to remedy themselves. The first type of beach hut was designed around this time, referred to as a bathing machine – portable and horse drawn, taking one person at a time down to the shore, to submerge themselves in the water, assisted by helpers known as ‘dippers’. In 1789, royal approval was granted by George III, after he took a medicinal bathe at Weymouth beach to the musical accompaniment of God Save the King. By the time Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, bathing machines were a common sight by the sea. By the 1900s, however, the separate gender bathing machines lost their function and were replaced by changing huts, which lined the shore. In 1909, the first British beach huts were built on either side of the Bournemouth Pier.

BUYING Demand soared for beach huts post-lockdown, with long waiting lists and prices rising nearly 30 per cent. Prices depend on position and location, but you can expect to pay anything from £6,000 up to £245,000. Huts that are set further back from the beach tend to command a lower price. As well as the upfront price, there can also be additional costs such as an annual licence fee or ground rent if the hut is sold as leasehold.

RENTAL With many opting for UK staycations over holidays abroad, beach hut rentals are a great option and cost as little as £20 per day.

For rentals visit beachhuts.com, thehappyhuts.com or littlebeachhutcompany.co.uk.