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hink of the north Lincolnshire coast, and images of bizarrely-shaped beach huts nestled amongst the dunes are unlikely to come to mind. But as you’ll soon discover, Mablethorpe is full of surprises.

There are over 300 huts situated between Mablethorpe and its neighbour Sutton-on-Sea, but the ones you’ll really notice are the Bathing Beauties. The artist Michael Trainor launched a competition back in 2007 for designers to reinvent the beach hut for the twenty-first century, and these bad boys were the result.

With names as playful as the hut’s designs, you can rent ‘Jabba the Hut’ which is shaped like a garlic bulb, or ‘Eye Wide sHut’ whose main feature is a one-way viewing mirror. There’s even a hut with its own Camera Obscura. After you’ve picked your unique hut, all that’s left to do is kick back and enjoy the sea-views and 10 miles of blue flag beach.

As well as celebrating the unique beauty, culture, architecture and history of the Lincolnshire coast, the Bathing Beauties Festival is an eclectic mix of music, poetry, fire, performances, film and drama.

After enjoying a day in a Bathing Beauty, it’s time to turn your back on the sea and head into the woods. Just fifteen miles from Mablethorpe in a verdant corner of the Woodhall Spa, you’ll discover the incredible Kinema.

With an organ and back projection system, there’s plenty of old school charm on display. With its ability to play around with history, Mablethorpe will open your eyes to a whole new side of Lincolnshire.