With staycations being the dominant force of holidays this year as the ramifications of the pandemic are still felt, people are flocking to the beach.

The wide-open spaces along with the heatwave have seen more and more people come to the coast for either a day out with the family or a holiday. The popularity of time at the beach can be seen with the rise of rentals in beach huts.

Pinewoods in Wells-next-the-Sea has seen a huge increase in demand, with hire bookings this year up by 67pc compared to the same time in 2019.

Another rental service, The Happy Huts has also seen a huge jump in desire. Jodie Granger-Brown, owner of the huts has seen this first hand.

Dereham Times: Wells-next-the-Sea beachWells-next-the-Sea beach (Image: Archant © 2011; 01603 772434)

“We have never witnessed beach hut rentals being so popular, we sold every single day between May to September in just four minutes," she said.

"In 2020 we had just two huts up to rent and now we have 12 huts and they are all fully booked.”

With temperatures hitting 24° on June 3, we went down to Wells beach to ask people what made renting a hut so desirable.

Danielle Eaves, from Lincolnshire, was on holiday in Norfolk. She had booked her cottage through Annie’s Cottage and even paid extra to have the beach hut included, which she said was a big draw.

Dereham Times: One of the beach huts on Wells beach. Picture: Danielle BoodenOne of the beach huts on Wells beach. Picture: Danielle Booden (Image: Archant 2021)

"We wanted to have that luxury when we came down to the beach," she said.

“We love having the hut because you don’t have to lug all your stuff down here, it is all provided. At the hut you can make a cold drink and have a piece of shade, all you need to do is bring food.

“We booked the hut over a year ago, and it has definitely been worth the wait.

“We are also celebrating the 13th birthday of my daughter today, that's why we decided to renew our booking when it got cancelled last year, and we are so glad that we did.”

Dereham Times: Ms Teresa Felstead, 47, from Little Snoring enjoying one of the beach huts at Wells. Picture: Danielle BoodenMs Teresa Felstead, 47, from Little Snoring enjoying one of the beach huts at Wells. Picture: Danielle Booden (Image: Archant 2021)

Teresa Felstead, from Little Snoring, rented her beach hut privately through Facebook. She said the hut gives them peace of mind.

“We love to use the beach huts because you have somewhere for the kids to have a seat in the shade and be able to have all your stuff without sitting in the middle of the beach,” she said.

“I would rather be sitting here in a hut than out in the middle of the sun with all the stuff out there.”

Dereham Times: Mrs Linda Komas, 67, from Melton Mowbray enjoying one of the beach huts at Wells beach. Picture: Danielle BoodenMrs Linda Komas, 67, from Melton Mowbray enjoying one of the beach huts at Wells beach. Picture: Danielle Booden (Image: Archant 2021)

Linda Komas, from Melton Mowbray, had rented her hut through Pinewoods. She has been coming to Wells for the last eight years due to her love of the seaside.

“We come to this exact beach hut every year because it reminds me of my childhood being by the seaside,” she said.

“We booked this up a year ago, in November. We originally had a booking that was cancelled due to the pandemic. We decided to turn it into a voucher because we knew we would be coming back.

“The only time we were not in this exact beach hut was when we went to another hut called Dolly Mixture, which was owned by Pinewood as well.

“It is just so lovely to be back here at the seaside, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.”

Dereham Times: Mr Gordon Leonard, 42, from Essex enjoying one of the beach huts at Wells. Picture: Danielle BoodenMr Gordon Leonard, 42, from Essex enjoying one of the beach huts at Wells. Picture: Danielle Booden (Image: Archant 2021)

Gordon Leonard, from Essex, was at the hut with friends and family, it was their first staycation as they looked to entertain the kids for half term.

He could not remember when they made the booking, just that it was an ‘awfully long time ago.’ Despite going to the beach regularly, the hut offers something different.

“It is just so lovely to have one, to be able to have a nice cup of tea while knowing all your stuff is safe and sound inside the hut," he said.

“It is just so lovely to be down here, especially after the lockdowns, it is great to see loved ones, as well as other people and socialise and feel that sense of normality returning all around us.”