Christmas-themed beach huts in Bournemouth, England

© Allouphoto/Alam

Life’s a beach... hut. Bournemouth beach huts

Today we’re taking our bucket and spade to the seaside resort of Bournemouth on the south coast of England. OK, it might be a bit chilly to build sandcastles this time of year, but the festive glow of these cosy beach huts will warm us up as we enjoy a stroll along the seafront for the town’s annual Christmas Tree Wonderland – a trail featuring more than 100 glittering trees and illuminations. The huts in our photo have been decked out for the holidays, providing visitors with the perfect scene for a seasonal selfie.

There are nearly 2,000 beach huts dotted along Bournemouth’s seven miles of sandy beaches, which is around 10% of all beach huts in the UK. Evolved from the wheeled bathing machines used by prudish Victorians to preserve their modesty, these candy-coloured wooden cabins are icons of the British seaside. The green ‘elf’ hut on our homepage is said to be the UK’s oldest public beach hut. Marked with a blue plaque, the 7 feet by 7 feet structure was built in 1909 and is still hired out today by beachgoers wanting a front-row seat by the sea.