Abersoch beach hut owners face big dig after sand storms cover properties

Beach hut owners at Abersoch in Wales will have to dig their way into their properties before they can enjoy their Easter break.

Strong north easterly winds over the past few weeks have blown the sand off the beach and onto the huts that can sell for up to £150,000.

Many of the beach huts towards the eastern end of the beach close to the sailing club are now buried or cut off by a wall of sand.

Rupert Bevan, who owns a property in the popular resort, said: “This is by no means unusual but it’s as bad as we’ve ever seen it.

“Around 20 beach huts are affected with some of them covered up to their roofs in sand.

"And sand being sand it will get everywhere and will have got inside as well so there is going to be quite a lot of digging required to get them useable this year.”

Andrew and Janet Baker, who own one of the huts, were busy clearing sand off the decking of their hut and the adjoining one which is owned by another member of their family.

Mr Baker said: “We’ve not had it too bad. I’ve shovelled some sand off the deck and we’ve brushed the sand out. We’re all set for a summer here but others will have work to do.”

Originally from Staffordshire, Mr Baker has been a regular visitor to Abersoch since the mid-1960s said digging out the huts was not unusual.“There have been some bad storms in the past which caused damage as well. The sand builds up over the winter and by the beginning of summer has covered the stones again,” he added.

John Swan, from Llanbedrog, said he regularly walked his dogs along the beach. He said the recent winds had blown in more shellfish than usual and hundreds of gulls and other seabirds had flocked to the area.

“There were hundreds of them swooping across the beach squabbling over the rich pickings,” he said.

The beach is patrolled by Gwynedd Council but much of the affected land is privately owned.