Ruth Dugdall sent us a little history of Felixstowe beach huts and also an update to save those in danger of being removed. Over to you Ruth…

As many of you will know, there’s a campaign to save 44 beach huts from being removed from the Spa area in Felixstowe. You might wonder what the fuss is about, after all, what we’re talking about here is a line of sheds. They’re small, most don’t have electricity, and you can’t use them overnight. And yet, if asked what object sums up the British seaside, ‘beach huts’ would surely be on the list - alongside buckets and spades and ice creams! They are embedded in the DNA of the British seaside, and most seaside towns who have them celebrate them. They are on posters and tea towels, and are the perfect back-drop for a selfie.

Beach huts trace their origin back to the bathing machines of the 1700s, when taking the sea air and sea-dipping was prescribed as a ‘water cure’ by doctors. Eventually, these bathing huts lost their wheels and became the stationary huts we think of today.

During the 1800s, Felixstowe emerged as a fashionable destination, after a mineral spring was discovered in the cliff. You can still see the dripping well at the side of the Spa Pavilion, fed by water, which visitors would purchase by the cup, to take like medicine.

Set into the cliff face is South Beach Mansions. In July 1891, the Empress Augusta Victoria of Prussia stayed there, putting Felixstowe firmly on the tourist map. Augusta’s grandmother was Queen Victoria’s half-sister, her husband Kaiser Wilhelm was the Queen’s grandson, so she called in on her royal relative, before she boarded a special train to Felixstowe. It was a family holiday; Augusta was joined by her five sons, and they all enjoyed the beach and swam in the sea.

There are sketches from the Empress’s visit, showing beach huts in the Spa area - in almost exactly the same place where they now sit. From the 1890s there are also photos of the beach huts in that area - all without wheels, all stationary. This is why seaside historian, Dr Kathryn Ferry, identified Felixstowe as the first British resort to have beach huts. It is very possible that some of the threatened beach huts are these very same huts, as at least 6 date back to the Edwardian era!

The Spa area is special to Felixstowe; it is a conservation area because of the rich history it contains. Stand in the Spa Gardens and you can see why Felixstowe was such a popular resort for the Edwardians - look up, and you can see Harvest House which was opened as The Felix Hotel, in 1903. An impressive red-brick building with enormous stone balconies, it was designed by Thomas Cotman, and was quickly dubbed the ‘Millionaire’s Hotel’. With its opulent palm court for dancing, and fabulous Art Deco features, it was the perfect spot for wealthy pleasure-seekers.

Then there is the Spa Pavilion, with its history dating back to 1909 when it was the Floral Hall. In the distance is the Pier, also opened in 1903.

But older than them all, are the beach huts. 

Felixstowe’s beach huts have been in the Spa area for as long as Felixstowe has been a seaside resort. They are part of its heritage, and they define the town. If these historical huts go, they go forever.