The holiday season is almost here and vacations by the seaside are more popular than ever. If you are about to get your own hut, thinking of hiring one for your holiday, or are just generally curious, you may be wondering about the dimensions of beach huts. Considerations like storing all your beach gear in a beach hut, being able to make hot beverages, and sitting inside away from the elements if needed, can all be important to know before getting a hut.
So how big is a beach hut in Britain? Although beach huts come in different shapes and sizes, the standard beach hut measures 6×6 feet in floor area. The dimensions of a standard beach hut are determined by local councils’ specifications. Other countries have their own standard beach hut sizes.
Even though it may seem that all beach huts are similar in size, they can vary a great deal in terms of floor space, height, and additional outdoor area. Due to their relatively small square footage, every inch can matter to their owners. When it comes to making the most of the space, beach hut owners have ingenious ways of designing and adorning these little buildings.
An example list of beach hut sizes can be seen below according to local authorities in the UK.
What is actually a beach hut?
Beach huts are typically small wooden constructions with an apex roof, situated near the beach. They are primarily used for shelter and privacy. As a rule, beach huts have no amenities like electricity, running water, or toilet, few have windows and are only permitted for daytime use. They can be found all across the world, however, there are some notable places where their presence is part of the country’s heritage, such as the beach huts in the United Kingdom.
At varying times in the past, men and women weren’t allowed to bathe together by law; hence, they were segregated. The history goes that when doctors began prescribing seawater for all kinds of ailments back in the mid-1700s in Yorkshire, “bathing boxes” with privacy hoods came about so that people could take a dip in the sea without worrying about being seen.
When the rules relaxed, people used these huts to store beach items and as their base by the seaside.
Today most beach huts on the British coastline are similar in size to the original bathing machines. Larger beach huts can have a slightly different purpose, being used as accommodation. Some councils have even allocated a proportion of their plots and built beach chalets for hiring out to holidaymakers. The beach lodges created by Bournemouth Council near Boscombe are an example of this.
Other names for beach huts: bathing boxes, beach pods, beach cottage, beach house, beach cabin, bathing hut, beach chalet, super hut, beach lodge.
Beach hut variations
As beach huts evolved over the years they have taken on slightly different forms from the traditional style. These will always depend on local regulations and any new buildings would have to pass planning permission.
Beach Chalets: they are bigger than the traditional huts, sometimes called super huts or lodges. A highly desirable feature of some of these beach chalets is that overnight stays might be permissible. Again, this will depend on local regulations, and with an online search, the status of these can be quickly determined.
Veranda: A popular addition to a hut can be an open veranda at the front of the entrance to provide further space, shelter, and protection from the midday sun. Depending on location, this feature can add an extra space half the size of the hut itself. Great for putting the deck chairs out, chilling out with a cuppa, and somewhere to dry wet clothing quicker.
Stilts: whilst most beach huts are positioned on some sort of base, some huts need to be placed on stilts to protect against high tides.
Note: each council has strict restrictions on beach hut decorations and what can and can’t be done with them. Even if you own a beach hut on a freehold basis, there could still be local rules that have to be followed.
These are a few examples of beach hut sizes in Britain according to the local area:
- Blyth: 8’2”x11’6” (2.5m x 3.5m)
- Bournemouth: 7×7 (2.13m x 2.13m), “super huts”: 11’2”x7’6” (3.4m x 2.3m)
- Brighton & Hove: 6×6 (1.83m x 1.83m)
- Mudeford Spit, Christchurch: 12×10 (3.65m x 3.05m), 18×15 (5.5m x 4.57m)
- North Norfolk: 8×6 (2.44m x 1.83m)
- Tendring: 8×12 (2.44m x 3.65m)
- Torbay: 6’1” x 6’1” (1.86m x 1.86m)
To find out more, contact your local authority for exact terms and conditions or your beach hut association, who should also have this information available.
What’s inside a beach hut?
With space being in such a short supply, some innovation can go a long way to make the most of the inside of a beach hut. Just like with the tiny house movement, owners have designed spectacular spaces out of the smallest beach huts, boasting plenty of storage and multi-purpose areas. In the bigger huts, a dedicated kitchen, seating, and even sleeping areas can be found. Facilities like running water, electricity, and toilets are rare in huts, but some do have them. In most instances, the council provides water points and toilets for beach hut users nearby.
In the traditional, daytime huts you’re more likely to find:
- shelving and cupboards,
- tea making facilities,
- deck chairs,
- towels,
- bodyboards,
- wet suits.
Beach hut construction
These are usually done by professional manufacturing firms that build and site beach huts. Most of them are flexible with creating the interior as well as adhering to council guidelines at the same time.
Whilst most beach huts are made out of timber, some newer materials are now available such as composite, and are expected to last longer and easier to maintain.
Summary of beach hut sizes
The size of beach huts in the UK can greatly vary according to different locations. Most of the traditional types of huts retain a resemblance to the original bathing boxes of the 18th century. The most popular size is around 6×6 feet, which might be extended with a veranda area to the front. Super huts can be as big as 18×15 feet, but these are much less common. Beach hut sizes in Britain are determined by the respective council, and they are always the best source to find out the exact details.
