Work begins on new beach huts, Seashore Village and activity park in Felixstowe

Work has begun on the construction of a new Seashore Village and activity park in Felixstowe.

The Seashore Village will feature 27 traditional-style beach huts, provided by East Suffolk Council, as well as a single-storey accessible hut, built from self-insulating panels and capable of being split into smaller rooms or pods for hire.

The site will be entirely re-landscaped, with ramp access installed from Sea Road and the Prom, where new fully accessible public conveniences will also be added and open year-round.

Further improvement will also be made to the surrounding South Seafront area, following the relocation and renovation of the ‘Trim Trail’, with the addition of a new activity park, set to include a climbing wall, concrete table tennis tables, pétanque piste, accessible picnic benches, chess tables and an outdoor space for workouts.

The creation of the public spaces will be made possible by funding generated by the sale of the huts.

Cllr Craig Rivett, East Suffolk’s Deputy Leader and cabinet member for Economic Development said: “We are committed to improving facilities and increasing tourism opportunities in East Suffolk. The South Seafront has undergone significant redevelopment and investment in recent years. These further improvements to the area will enhance accessibility and make the area more welcoming for local residents and visitors. It will offer more opportunities for exercise and physical activity to improve physical and mental wellbeing.”

The development was approved by East Suffolk Council’s Planning Committee South last October and forms part of wider ongoing investment in the South Seafront area, where the Martello Park has already delivered new homes, a play area and new car parking facilities, while East Suffolk Council has also invested in the development of a contemporary café, the refurbishment of two public shelters, and the long-term maintenance of an historic Martello Tower. 

Work is being led by main contractor, Gipping Construction, and is expected to continue until next summer.

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Welcome to your new teak garden room from Moonalabs. Unparalleled quality at an affordable price.

 

Hexagonal shedworking: MuuwSpace

 

An interesting design from Estonian-based MuuwSpace who say that "the hexagonal space has been proven to improve wellbeing and productivity at home" and describe it as an "empowering shape". The images on their site are certainly lovely.Here's the spec:

• Structure made of durable galvanized steel
• Insulated
• Snow load more than 2,0kN/m2
• Heating and cooling systems
• Floor heating
• Quiet speed controllable ventilation system
• Led lighting inside and outside
• Double glazing for good thermal efficiency
• Facade made of aluminium composite panel
• Aluminium door with triple glazing
• 5 electrical sockets and 2 usb charging sockets
• Terrace frame made of hot dip galvanized steel
• Can be lifted with forklift or crane

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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Garden office must-haves: Number 1 - Umbrella

We're starting a new occasional column today looking at items which are essential parts of a shedworker's garden office space. First out of the traps, the noble umbrella. Often rather overlooked but nevertheless a key element in your studio's armoury as these fine folk below explain.

Note to self: need an umbrella in my writing shed for rainy days so I can go back to the house without getting drenched! pic.twitter.com/YtQJd2q8ox

— Beautifulfic 🖋️🔞 (@BD_Strike) October 5, 2022

When you’re in your writing shed and you need to go back in the house but it’s raining out there… #getwetorstayinside pic.twitter.com/3HjJQJzIl4

— Tracey ScottTownsend (@authortrace) October 5, 2022

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

 

Garden office with Marley Board cladding

An attractive build - and nicely designed interior - from Cabin Master for a client who simply needed more working from home space and so went for a garden office rather than plump for an extension. An interesting feature is the exterior treatment, as its owner Michael explains:

“I really wanted something that looked great in the space, as well as being practical, so after getting lots of information from the sales team on the various cladding options available, I settled on the Marley Board. As it is hardwearing and doesn’t require any maintenance once the building’s been installed, the idea that the garden room would stand the test of time but without the added work of having to be painted or treated over the number of years you have it was a massive plus point."

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Wednesday’s posts are sponsored by Norwegian Log Buildings  - Log cabins and garden buildings for a better quality of life. Click here for more details.

How portable are garden offices?

Of course makes and models vary, but garden offices are more portable than many people think. Here, for example, is an Ultra from SMART which was taken to Wherstead Park for the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce Prestige Dinner last month.

Dylan Thomas, his writing shed, and October

Dylan Thomas mentions his writing shed/garage (here depicted by James Oses in my recent book Rooms of Their Own) various times in his work. "My study, atelier, or bard's bothy, roasts on a cliff-top," he called it in a letter to his friend Hector MacIver and it features dramatically in his ‘Poem On His Birthday’ to mark his 35^th which starts “In his house on stilts high among beaks/And palavers of birds” and goes on to describe the author as “the rhymer in the long tongued room”.

 

He also mentions it in his poem Especially When The October Wind, describing it as his "tower of words".You can read it at Poemhunter.com but why not listen to the great man giving it his best shot in the video below.

Fair Isle studio bothy

This must be in the running for one of the most beautiful - and remote - builds of 2022. It's the new knitting studio run by knitwear and textile designer Marie Bruhat at her home on Fair Isle on the Shetland Islands (she also runs knitting holidays).

Partially paid for using a grant from Highland and Islands Enterprise, it was built by Studio Bothy at her croft and its corrugated Corten steel and timber cladding fit marvellously into the rural landscape, as well as being properly durable. Here's what Marie says about it: 

Working in the Bothy has been fantastic. It’s really well insulated so it warms up quickly when it’s sunny, and when it’s cold the wood burner heats the space really fast. The light is fantastic, and I have amazing views through the big windows. I love working in here and listening to the rain in the background with the fire crackling away. I really think I have the best knitting studio in the world.

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Welcome to your new teak garden room from Moonalabs. Unparalleled quality at an affordable price.