A beach hut (also known as a beach cabin or bathing box) is a small, usually wooden and often brightly coloured, box above the high tide mark on popular bathing beaches. They are generally used as a shelter from the sun or wind, changing into and out of swimming costumes and for the safe storing of some personal belongings. Some beach huts incorporate simple facilities for preparing food and hot drinks by either bottled gas or occasionally mains electricity.
At many seaside resorts, beach huts are arranged in one or more ranks along the top of the beach. Depending upon the location, beach huts may be owned privately or may be owned by the local council or similar administrative body. On popular beaches, privately owned beach huts can command substantial prices due to their convenient location, out of all proportion to their size and amenity. A pre-war wooden beach chalet at West Bexington, Dorset sold at auction for £216,000 in 2006, and beach huts on Mudeford Spit reached £140,000. However these were unusual as in both cases overnight stays were possible. Prices in 2009 for typical huts around the UK ranged from £6,000 in Walton on the Naze to £130,000 for those at Mudeford.
The noted bathing boxes at Brighton in Australia are known to have existed as far back as 1862. The bathing boxes are thought to have been constructed and used largely as a response to the Victorian morality of the age, and are known to have existed not only in Australia but also on the beaches of England, France and Italy at around the same time.
They had evolved from the wheeled bathing machines used by Victorians to preserve their modesty. George III used a bathing machine at Mudeford in 1801, while Queen Victoria installed one at Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight in the 1840s.
In the early 20th century, beach huts were regarded as "holiday homes for the toiling classes", but in the 1930s their image revived, George V and Queen Mary spent the day at a beach hut in Sussex, and other owners have included the Spencer family and Sir Laurence Olivier. During World War II all UK beaches were closed, the reopening in the late 1940s and 1950s led to resurgence of the British beach holiday and the heyday of the Beach Hut.
At the clinic we annually try to take a summer day trip to a rented beach hut. I am seriously AMAZED at this tradition simply because I CANNOT get over how expensive these little wooden boxes are (they're seriously tiny! AND don't have bathrooms - I had to pee outside behind it and try really hard not to get urine on my freaking flipflop!!!) Time at the beach is part of many British familes' traditions - I've heard many an adult recall fondly time they spent at the beach with his or her family growing up. It was really special to have a chance to go to "Wells Next the Sea" (yes, that's the name of the town - how great is that?!) and experience this tradition. We were blessed with sunshine and tolerable temperatures this morning for the outing.
3 comments:
ltruVery interesting....how long of a drive was it from Norwich to the beach?
between and hour and an hour & a half - so total I spent about 5 hours driving yesterday!
Love the beach houses-there just aren't many days to enjoy them there.
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