“New beach huts built on beach platforms, Return of Beach Huts to the Spa initiative, Felixstowe Spa area, Felixstowe, Suffolk, England, UK”
The weather brightened up in the afternoon last Tuesday and it felt like a good opportunity to go out looking for some new stock photos. Felixstowe is the closest large town to me – though unfortunately we are separated by a large river estuary! Regardless, it is an easy 20 mile drive and there is usually something going on.
Most people know Felixstowe for its port – the largest container port in UK. Less well-known is its heritage as a seaside resort which it was especially in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. Nowadays, it is more of a day-trip destination but back then it entertained upmarket guests, including European royalty, who came to take the spa water and swim. It was one of the first places to establish beach huts, essentially a development of the horse-drawn bathing machine.
An organisation called the Spa Beach Hut Association is working with the local council on a project to reinstate Victorian style bathing huts on the beach area near the Spa Pavilion theatre. Similar beach hut platforms raised over the beach exist in other areas such as near The Fludyers Hotel but have been absent from the Spa area for some years. I have a suspicion that winter storms may have had something to do with that but let’s stay positive.
“Information poster about Return of Beach Huts to the Spa, Felixstowe Spa area, Felixstowe, Suffolk, England, UK – the first purpose-built beach huts were from here”
I took a series of pictures of this new, and I feel, interesting development, and of some established beach huts near the Fludyers hotel, also of the Spa Pavilion, South Beach gardens, the Edwardian South Beach shelter, and the grand Italianate style South Beach Mansion perched on the clifftop.
A short walk inland is the main shopping street – without any clue shown that a seaside resort is nearby. A lot of charity shops these days, and the normal sort of High Street shop of any town. I always try to take pictures of shopfronts. They license well for editorial use by publishers such as Reach, and it provides an opportunity to take pictures IN Felixstowe but not necessarily OF Felixstowe ( ie) with wider appeal relating to business and retail trends.
“Coes clothes clothing shop, Hamilton Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk, England, UK”
“Shops in pedestrianised shopping area, Hamilton Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk, England, UK”
The final subject category from the visit is a few images of historic housing from the town’s boom period from the 1890s. A modern boom period of enormous new suburban housing estates can be the subject of other days.
“Red brick semi-detached late Victorian houses c 1887 with bay windows, Gainsborough Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk, England, UK”
A point of possible interest is that this type of bow window is called ‘canted’ – flat front, sloped sides. Something new I have learnt from asking Google Gemini for information.
I’ve added these 46 new stock images of Felixstowe to my 2026 gallery on Geography Photos.
Subscribe for updates. Next will be a day exploring Lowestoft from Ness Point to Oulton Broad.