But are we now falling out of love with one of coastal living’s most quintessential trappings – the humble beach hut?

While wooden shacks still line our seafronts and sand dunes, the prices they can command has fallen for the second consecutive year running.

New figures say Norfolk huts lost 13pc of their value last year - a drop second only to West Sussex, which saw prices plummet by 35pc.

Hut owners at Heacham protesting last year at West Norfolk Council's plans to hike their ground rents (Image: Christine Brown)

One place where hut owners have had more reasons to fall out of love with their pieds-à-terre is Heacham.

Occupants of the 100 or so properties tucked behind the sea defences, near Hunstanton, have endured poor water quality and a hike in parking charges.

West Norfolk Council also debated whether or not to sell the land the huts stand on, before putting it on hold.

But it then increased the ground rents for the plots from £200 to £700 and replaced 10-year leases........

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