Articles:
The following story was surrounded with great mystery. It was handwritten by a man who lived in an old folks home in Scarborough. One of the carers at that home gave it to the Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre. It is exceptionally well written...
As the first seaside resort in Britain, 50 years before Brighton, Scarborough pioneered "bathing machines" for women, who entered the ocean clad in vast garments, helped by servant women, from horse drawn sheds on wheels. Men swam ...
Cliff lift and Tramway
Scarborough had the very first cliff lift in Britain, click here for details
There were at least three other cliff lifts, one in the North Bay and two near the Grand Hotel.
One of these has now been closed do...
Scarborough Fire Brigade
In 1847 Scarborough Corporation created an organised fire brigade using equipment provided by various insurance companies and appointing a Fire Brigade Superintendent. The photograph display depicts the development of the ...
At the beginning of the 21st Century the Marine Drive sea defences were reinforced. During these changes the 'Lady Dock' - a small slipway on the North Bay was built over. Not many people knew what this small archway built into the Marine...
A block of buildings on Scarborough's Sandside has had a remarkable history. Many others along the front would make the transition from mariner's houses, fishermen's cottages and ship builder's workshops into fancy goods shops, ca...
The Marine Drive was the first ever marine carriage drive in the country and was arguably the final and most ambitious project in transforming the town into a modern seaside resort.
The Drive, which was constructed primarily as a sea defen...
Local newspapers have been recording events for morethan 150 years. Scarborough and other Yorkshire libraries have good collections of the old papers, often on microfilm. Readers can be booked and research combined with a good deal of entertainme...
North Bay Pier
Scarborough's North Bay Pier was opened in 1869. It was part of 'Pier Mania' that was sweeping coastal resorts after the first 'leisure pier' was opened in Blackpool in 1863 and Brighton's West Pier ...
Donation SMHC 1158 - Old Postcards from Ken Adamson.
See whole gallery by clicking here
Sent from Scarborough to London, Gloucestershire, Huddersfield, Thornton le Dale, Buckinghamshire, Leicester, Wales, Manchester, Harrogate, Wakefield, A...
Olympia
The original Olympia building on the sea front was constructed as an exhibition hall for the international fishery and marine exhibition, opening in May 1895. At the time it was the largest hall in Scarborough and could hold 6000 people. C...
Peasholm Park Naval Battle
Peasholm Park Naval Warfare Display In 1927, Mr George Harrocks, Scarborough Corporation Entertainments Manager, came up with the idea of re-enacting, in minature, First World War Deadnought sea battles. The model ships ...
Scarborough's seafront
Gilbank's Directory of 1855 shows the businesses of the Scarborough Under cliff still more part of the port than the resort .House numbers should be treated with caution as many have changed since.
Sandside
1. Wi...
Scarborough has a major fort, an important portand was the first seaside resort. Since the 12th century, the great rock carried a Norman castle, visited by the mediaeval Kings from Henry II to Richard III, who made the port his base for war again...
Sea bathing was pioneered at Scarborough in the late 17th century.
Scarborough invented wild cold water swimming
The healthy plunger was warned, "you could feel a considerable shock or chill. A sobbing succeeds, the skin is contracted and ...
A book seller called John Cole moved to Scarborough in 1821. His diary recorded some of the delights, awaiting both the resident and the genteel visitor, in those years before the railways brought the crowds. Even in January, there was a "ca...
At one time the economy of Scarborough was very much based upon the sea - fishing boats sold their catches, shipbuilders busy in shipyards, and merchant seamen going from port to port. Nowadays Scarborough relies on tourism - yachtsmen come to en...
Warwick Tower
A great landmark that can help to date some old Scarborough photos. The original inventor of a revolving tower was a Mr JS Lake from Pleasantville, USA, who never registered the patent for it and it was taken up by two Americans ...
NORTHSTEAD MANOR GARDENS WATER CHUTE
Harry Smith, the Borough Engineer, designed and developed the area we now know as Northstead Manor Gardens in three stages. The first stage opening in 1929 was the area at the top of the hill where 10 tenni...
Scarborough once had the 3rd largest telescope in Britain
The 15.5 inch f15 Cook refractor telescope was in an observatory built in 1885 on Londesborough Road in Scarborough. James Wigglesworth (1825-1889), a businessman and amateur...
