Picture Post: Scarborough - the seaside resort that harbours a rich history

Here, fishing boats calmly bob on the surface of the harbour much as they have always done. Today they are often joined by the odd yacht and occasional speedboat as Scarborough tries to both preserve its past and look forward to the future.

While still a huge favourite with the bucket and spade crowd, in recent years the seaside town has also become a hub for creative industries.

It’s easy to see why those with no need to commute to a big city for work might be persuaded to move to Scarborough with its impressive Victorian architecture and dramatic shoreline. Scarborough lays claim to being the first seaside resort in the world with tourists flocking to the East Coast in search of health-giving spa waters as early as the 1600s. However, it was in the 19th century that town really boomed with the railways bringing tourism to the masses.

While there is a rival claim from Margate, it was Scarborough where the first bathing machines were tested. At first modesty was key, with bathers wearing more clothes to take a dip into the North Sea than they did to walk along the promenade, but it wasn’t long before the neck to ankle costumes had been replaced with something a little more flattering.

By the turn of the 1900s, the Great British holiday had arrived and workers from Yorkshire’s mill towns would head to the coast to find escape from the soot and the smog in afternoon tea dances, end of pier shows and fish and chips on the beach.

Scarborough had it all, from large hotels, major theatres, which attracted some of the biggest names of the day, and some of the best ice cream on the coast. The seaside tourist industry may not be what it once, but Scarborough has fared better than many resorts and as this picture shows on a clear day it is still one of the most picturesque resorts in the country.

Technical details: Nikon D3s, Lens Nikon 17-55mm, Shutter Speed 1/640s, Aperture f/5.6, ISO 0.3EV Under 200.

PICTURE: James Hardisty