July 8th 2023.
If you're visiting Margate this summer, you may be familiar with the Turner Contemporary art gallery and Dreamland fairground. But you may not know about Haeckels Community Sauna.
Located on Walpole Bay in the Kent coastal resort, this small beach hut looks unassuming from the outside. However, inside lies a fully-operational sauna that can be visited by members of the public for free.
The sauna was the brainchild of cosmetics brand Haeckels and was crowdfunded in 2014, raising £30,000 with the help of architecture fans from all over the UK. After its completion, the Reykjavik-inspired sauna even made an appearance on George Clarke's Amazing Spaces and Channel 4's Britain's Best Beach Huts.
Dom Bridges, the founder of Haeckels, had the intention of creating a concept that could be used around the UK's coastline, not just Thanet. He expressed, "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."
Despite the use of local craftspeople, the sauna ended up costing £70,000 more than the original budget. However, it is now fully up and running and open every day for beachgoers to use. The service 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 clear that Haeckels Community Sauna is a hit with locals and tourists, as comments on the service's Instagram page show. One happy customer described the sauna as "one of the best things about Margate," while another commented, "Love this place and love what you do for the community." So if you ever find yourself in the area, be sure to check out this ingenious little hut and experience something unique.
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