The Rise of the British Beach Hut:

How a Humble Wooden Shed Became a £500,000 Status Symbol

Whilst not entirely unique to the UK, the beach hut is very much part of the British coastal scene. Rows of huts, often brightly coloured, sit close to the rolling waves of the sea. In many places, the beach hut is only a few steps from the sea when the tide is in.

How did the humble beach hut come to be? After all, these are only wooden sheds in a desirable location.

It all started with the bathing machines-a small wooden shed on wheels. Originating in the 1730s, the bathing machine was a place where bathers could change into their swimming costumes. The machines were wheeled up to the sea to allow the bathers to exit for their swim and enter from the sea to dry off and change back into their daily clothes.

The earliest use of the bathing machine was likely used by persons who would swim nude. The machine would allow them to get further into the sea and then quickly hide their body under the water, whilst the bathing machine hid them from the view of those on the beach. Beaches were segregated until 1901, and the decline of the bathing machine began.

With the coming of the Edwardian era, attitudes had changed, and many would now change on the beach under a coat or similar to protect their…