In June 1936, on Howard’s 10th birthday (see the section on "Hallett Family") ‘Granny’ and her husband Edward bought a chalet at Dunster Beach, not far from where they then lived in Bridgwater. (Edward Hallett & Granny's Grave is in the Quantock Road Cemetry at Bridgwater). That chalet has been passed on down the generations for over 80 years as family property.  Between 2005 and 2010 it was extensively refurbished and updated to keep it suitable and available for family and friends to use for quiet, even traditional (!) sea-side holidays.  Rental prices are held low and designed just to cover annual running costs, so there is no cleaning service between tenants. Users of the chalet are asked to leave it for the next tenant as they would have wanted to find it themselves.

Dunster Beach is a not-for-profit limited company 'co-operative' which since 1965 has been owned by the 230 chalet owners who each have a chalet on the beach.  Each year the owners elect a board of directors to manage the day-to-day affairs of the beach. The owners have ensured that, over the years, the intrinsic nature of the beach has been preserved even while modernisation has taken place.  The company employs a beach manager and a small caretaker team who look after the running of the beach and manage the small shop (shown here).  There is also a kiosk with longer opening hours near entrance to the beach, and opposite the public car park.

The chalet has a fitted kitchen, a flush toilet, wash basin and electric shower, a sofa futon which converts to a double bed and two bunk beds.  The chalet is designed to sleep 4 people comfortably. See the comments belwo, and the gallery on this page for more pictures of the sleeping arrangements.

There is a flat-screen digital TV in the chalet which is also a DVD player.   There is an electricity meter which takes £1 coins only. 

More pictures of the chalet and beach are in the gallery on this  page. 

The chalet had a new sofa double bed installed in 2020.  This converts simply to a comfortable double bed.  Full instructions are provided for visitors.   For youngsters there is are two bunk beds.   In addition a travel cot for a baby can easily be accommodated, and there is a small blow up child's bed if required.  

On the sea side the double doors open out onto a patio makes a lovely sea-view alfesco dining room when the weather is good.  There are some children's buckets and spades in the outside storage bench.s bed if required.

There is much of interest close to Dunster Beach. Steam trains of the West Somerset Railway stop at Dunster Station. Dunster is a historic village with a famous Castle, Yarn Market, a working water mill, an old tithe barn, a dovecote, a packhorse bridge, and the "olden" Luttrell Arms Hotel for refreshment.  North Hill, behind Minehead is worth exploring, and beyond is Porlock, Lynmouth and the whole of Exmoor.  Local visitor leaflets, maps, walk guides and local history books are available in the chalet.