UK's 'most expensive' beach hut sells for £170,000 in Dorset

The hut, which takes half an hour to walk to, can also be accessed by train and ferry

A beach hut in Dorset is thought to have become the most expensive in the UK after selling for £170,000 two days after going on the market.

The 5.5m (18ft) by 3m (10ft) wooden hut in Mudeford Spit has no running hot water and requires a half-hour walk or train or ferry ride to get to.

The hut was bought by a family from nearby Christchurch.

The sale of the hut, which sleeps six but can only be occupied between March and October, was completed on Monday.

Andrew Denison, from Denisons Estate Agents in Christchurch, said: "Mudeford beach is a beautiful area and not one where beach huts regularly come and go.

"This particular one is of a very high standard, streets away from a wooden shack.

"It is positioned sideways on, which is unusual, so it is diagonal across the beach, with views of the harbour and the sea and the Isle of Wight."

The galley kitchen has a stove, fridge and sink with running water

Mr Denison continued: "It's bizarre - the price of beach huts are going up while the price of houses are going down.

"But it's a lifestyle rather than a commodity. It's the dream of a nice English summer."

Hut 97, one of 350 in the area, has double-glazed windows and solar panels on the roof to provide electricity for lighting and a 12v pump system that supplies water from a tap.

It has a kitchen with gas oven and fridge which can be powered by a battery or gas.

The Mudeford sandbank is recognised as having the most expensive huts in the country.

"We think it's the most expensive beach hut ever sold in the UK," Mr Denison said.

The previous highest price paid for a hut in Mudeford was £126,000, three months ago.