If you’re visiting Margate this summer, you may be planning to visit the Turner Contemporary art gallery or Dreamland fairground.
One attraction you may not know about, though, is Haeckels Community Sauna.
Based at Walpole Bay in the Kent coastal resort, it looks like your average wheeled beach hut upon first glance.
But inside lies a fully-operational sauna, which members of the public can visit completely free.
Cosmetics brand Haeckels crowdfunded to build the sea bathing machine back in 2014, raising £30,000 and attracting support of residents of the seaside town and architecture fans around the country.
The Reykjavik-inspired sauna featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces after it was finished, then recently made an appearance on Channel 4’s Britain’s Best Beach Huts.
Talking about the project, Haeckels founder Dom Bridges, said: ‘We wanted to create a concept that could be duplicated and used around the coastline of the UK, not just Thanet.
‘This machine would be transported down to the beach and people would be able to enjoy a luxurious sauna before jumping into the cold sea water to cool down.’
Local craftspeople were used throughout the build, but there were issues. The sauna ended up costing £70,000 more than budgeted, while it was initially too heavy to transport.
Now, however, it’s fully up and running, open every single day so beachgoers can work up a sweat between dips in the sea.
The Haeckels sauna is community-run and free to visit, although donations and volunteers are always welcome.
You can visit all day on weekends, with opening times of 8am to 12pm Tuesday and Friday and 8am to 3pm on Mondays.
It’s clearly a hit, as comments on the service’s Instagram show. One happy customer said: ‘Haeckels Beach Sauna is one of the BEST things about Margate. So much gratitude for your incredible gift that builds health, community and joy.’
Another added: ‘Love this place and love what you do for the community.’
So check out this ingenious little hut if you’re ever in the area and want to do something unique – you may just need to after braving the changeable British weather.
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