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 cozy 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—or should that be elfie?

There are nearly 2,000 beach huts dotted along Bournemouth's 7 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-colored 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 heritage plaque, the 7-by-7-foot structure was built in 1909 and is still hired out by beachgoers wanting a front row seat by the sea.