The perfect Insta beach.
When you think about where the most "Instagrammable" beaches might be, I'm sure your first thought doesn't go to Essex in the UK, because you'll be thinking of excotic destinations with white sands, aqua waters and palm trees a plenty.
But I'll let you in on a little secret, Essex is home to one of the UK's Insta hotspots, West Mersea beach on Mersea Island. Situated just outside of Colchester, you'll find this quaint little island nestled between the Blackwater and Colne Rivers, and what it lacks in palm trees it makes up with its long row of adorable pastel colooured beach huts.
These are all privately owned but some are available to rent. That brings me to the https://www.thelittlebeachhousemersea.co.uk
I was invited to spend a day at the beach with exclusive use of their little blue beach house (they also have a lilac one) and I could not wait.
We opted for a day towards the end of April, taking a gamble on notorious British weather, but we were fortunately blessed with glorious sunshine.
Although the beauty of having a beach hut for the day is that it offers you shelter should the weather take a turn for the worse, we were prepared with a pack of playing cards just in case.
Ready for a light bite.
Picture perfect setting.
Chic styling.
The hut is fully equipped with everything you'll need, from cool box to camping stove, and all the crockery and utensils you'll need to make yourself hot drinks and something to eat, and you are also supplied with everything you'll need to clean it all up after.
There is no running water but there is a tap for fresh drinking water just a few huts down. Also, there is no electricity so take your own battery chargers for your phones etc.
Inside the hut is beautifully deoorated in a chic modern style with just enough of a nod towards a nautical theme without it being contrived. There is a small leather sofa, hardwood work surfaces and funky prints on the wall. There is also some luxury fold up deck chairs to use out on the little terrace or to take down on to the beach. These have a matching parasol and windbreaker should you need them, all in a smart navy and whie striped design, suiting the aesthetic perfectly.
You'll also find a selection of buckets and spades to build sandcastles with, an activity not just for children.
We arrived nice and early, via a local supermarket to buy ourselves some food for a little picnic.
If you don't want to take a picnic with you there is a cafe close by and a pub in the holiday park behind the beach. As a beach hut guest you also have access to the toilets here, it is less than a minutes walk from the hut.
We expected the beach to be quite busy as the sun was shining, but with the exception of the occasional dog walker and one lady on a horse, we pretty much had the beach to ourselves all morning.
After lunch, a hundful of other hut dwellers arrived but it was still a perfectly chilled afternoon.
I advise booking a week day outside of school holidays if you want a similar experience, especially if you are wanting to shoot some Insta content without hordes of spectators, lol.
The hut is also super handy for getting changed in. Obviously i went armed with several outfits for our visit and it made a nice change to not be hiding behind a car to switch from one dress to another. There are even a couple of handy coat hooks on the wall to hang all your outfits up, ensuring they are crease free. And there is a mirror on the wall so you can check that you are picture perfect too.
With prices starting from £65 per day and the hut fully equipped for up to 8 people, I think it's a very good value day out in a stunning location. I highly recommend it. I can't thank The Little Beach House enough for a perfect day. Be sure to check out their Instagram account @thelittlebeachhousemersea
Book now, you won't be disappointed.
