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Scarborough is one of the UK’s best-known seaside destinations, with a long history of leisure tourism dating back to the 17th century.
Scarborough Civic Society explains: ‘These first discerning visitors sought pleasure as well as health. They demanded (and were willing to pay for) the best of everything, from accommodation, food and drink to theatrical performances.’
This coastal area of Yorkshire was also a base for the fishing and shipbuilding industries with an active harbour.
While Scarborough, like many of the UK’s seaside resorts, suffered as a tourist destination following the launch of cheap flights and package holidays in the late 20th century, it remains a popular seaside location today.
Discover how the resort evolved over time with this selection of fascinating historical photographs.
From the lively bandstand that has entertained guests for over 100 years to the outdoor swimming pool that was “the first of its kind in England” – delve into Scarborough’s past…
The image above captures a view of Scarborough from the esplanade in 1911. The image below shows the seaside town in 2021, with the castle ruins prominent on the hill in each photo. Scarborough began attracting visitors in the 17th century, notes Visit Scarboroughmaking it one of the UK’s first seaside resorts.
These two images show tourists listening to bands playing at the Spa (a spa and events venue), but more than 100 years apart: the top image dates from 1913 and the bottom image from 2022.
The two aerial images above offer a comparison of present-day Scarborough with the city of 1929. At the bottom left of the old image, Scarborough Lighthouse is in a state of ruin. Scarborough Civic Society explains: ‘During the German bombardment of 1914, a shell passed through the lighthouse tower. It had to be dismantled to the first floor level and was rebuilt by public subscription in 1931.
Three women are shown shrimping on Scarborough Sands Beach in 1912.
Crowds of tourists arrive at Scarborough railway station in this image, taken in 1913. Scarborough Civic Society states: ‘With the arrival of the railway in 1845, Scarborough was well placed to attract a broader spectrum of visitors than ever before. Now they came to savor the newfound delights of an established spa, rather than to sample the medicinal waters of the spa.
Tourists photographed at the Spa in 1913. the bbc reveals: ‘It included a concert hall with capacity for 500 people, gardens and a promenade’
Bathers relax on deck chairs on the shores of Scarborough in 1913. The Spa appears above the beach with the town’s Grand Hotel at the top of the image.
Tourists on North Beach in Scarborough in 1913. Tourists at the time could make use of wheeled bathing machines, a type of modest device that granted private access to the water.
Tourists are photographed in Scarborough’s North Bay in 1913. The ruins of Scarborough Castle, a medieval fortress, are seen on the hill in the back of the shot. Scarborough Civic Society comments that the ruins “continue to be the best-known element of the city”
Bathers in the sea at North Sands Beach in Scarborough in 1914. Since the early 17th century, Scarborough had established itself as “a pleasant place to ‘take the waters'”, reveals BBC
Tourists enjoy the outdoor swimming pool in Scarborough’s Battery Park in the 1930s. The Yorkshire Post explains: ‘The Art Deco attraction was the first swimming pool of its kind in England with built-in diving boards, a water slide, changing rooms and showers. It contained nearly two million gallons of filtered and chlorinated seawater. The pool was closed in 1989.
This image shows the Scarborough seafront in 1935. A banner in the background advertises “The Wrestling Champions of the World”, a daily spectacle, apparently.
In this image from 1937, Scarborough footballers are photographed taking a seaweed bath during preparations for the FA Cup match.
This image shows the Spa’s bandstand in 1945. The Spa complex has been modified several times over the years, but the DNA of its architecture dates back to the 1880s.
Tourists on deck chairs on the beach in 1958. Although many British seaside resorts fell out of favor with the launch of cheap overseas flights, Scarborough remains the third most visited place in the UK, according to Visit Scarborough