by Admittedly it looks a bit shabby. A wooden slat next to the front door and a window pane are missing and a coat of paint would definitely not hurt.
But there is concern in the seaside town of Bournemouth at the prospect of the structure – beach hut number 2359 – being demolished as structural work begins on the nearby pier.
As the blue plaque on the outside attests, this is not just any old, windswept, salt-stained building, but the first municipal beach hut in the UK, built in 1909.
Hattie Miles, who runs walking tours of Bournemouth, said it should be saved. “It seems really strange to me. In my opinion, it can’t cost much just to maintain a beach hut, for heaven’s sake. All you have to do is pick it up and move it.”
The hut is part of Miles’ Hidden Secrets of Bournemouth Walk. “When I tell people this is the first urban beach hut, they are very interested. I always felt there was a lack of appreciation for Bournemouth’s history. In the Victorian era, everyone came here.”
Hut 2359 stands in a row of two dozen on Bournemouth East Beach. They are small and simple and were usually used by local families, a second home on the golden sands.
Although the huts are empty and locked at the moment, one of their fans, Richard, was seen this week sweeping wind-blown sand from the beach that was once home to him and his mother a few doors down from 2359.
They get another one, but Richard is taken back. “I still like to keep the old cabin clean and tidy,” he said. “I don’t think they should tear this down – there are so many memories here.”
Andrew Emery, who wrote a book about the history of Bournemouth’s coast and conducted the research for the plaque on Hut 2359, said it would be a shame if it was not preserved in some way.
“There had been some private beach huts before this, but this was the first time a local authority had built beach huts, or beach bungalows as they were called. There are many residents who love the cabins. They are so iconic to the city.”
The plaque on the hut reads: “Bournemouth Beach Bungalow, built in 1909. First municipal beach hut in the United Kingdom. Designed and built under the direction of Frederick Percy Dolamore, Senior Assistant District Engineer and Surveyor.”
Strangely, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council argue in their defense that it is not the original structure, despite the evidence on the plaque.
Emery accepted that 2359 was “a bit like Trigger’s broom”, a reference to the street sweeper’s brush in the sitcom Only Fools and Horses, which had 17 new heads and 14 new handles, but – at least from Trigger’s perspective – still as the original was viewed one.
“The roof and sides have been replaced, but there are old bones underneath and the design is definitely true to the original,” Emery said.
Kathryn Ferry, a founder of the Seaside Heritage Network, which celebrates all things British beach resorts, has some sympathy for the council.
She said: “I’m a fan of beach huts but you have to look at it in the bigger picture. The beach huts may have been around since 1909 and were important because they were the first town huts, but the pier has been there since 1880. It’s really important that the pier remains useful for Bournemouth’s seafront.”
The council is investing more than £9.5 million in the pier, mainly to secure the substructure.
Rich Herrett, a council cabinet member, said: “As part of this essential work, 29 beach huts may need to be removed to create a facility for site storage and staff welfare. They are unlikely to be rebuilt.”
