The UK’s best beach huts

Nothing says the British seaside like colourful beach huts, and as well as admiring them from afar in places such as Wells-next-the-Sea and Folkestone – where artist Rana Begum’s No. 1054 Arpeggio sees a colourful design flow through 120 beach huts in celebration of the tradition – you can sometimes also stay in them, at least for the day. h At Red Beach Hut, in Walton-onthe-Naze, Essex, owner and widow

Kim Moore turned her grief into something positive by transforming a beach hut into a place of refuge, at first for herself and now for others. Moore now hosts wellbeing events in conjunction with Blossome – the organisation she launched to help people who have lost a loved one through alcoholism or addiction to feel joyful again – which include sunrise swims and breakfasts (redbeach-hut.co.uk). h In Suffolk, the Glory Hut beach hut can be hired as a daytime base for holidays in the area (from £262 per week; originalcottages.co.uk) and comes with a gas stove, table and chairs – perfect for parents who want to unwind while kids build sandcastles on the beach. h For families who want to stay in a beach hut, Bournemouth Beach Lodges (bournemouthbeachlodges.co. uk) sleep up to six (at a push) and have kitchenettes and a good-sized upper deck. While bigger than the average hut, they are very cute and have doors that open fully, so you can watch the sea from bed. h For a more luxurious approach, Three Mile Beach (threemilebeach. co.uk) near St Ives has 15 beach huts a stone’s throw from Gwithian Beach, with views of Godrevy lighthouse. Each hut has been individually designed and offers mod cons, such as sunken cedar hot tubs and log burners.

Pastel paradise: colourful huts, such as these in Felixstowe, are a British tradition