As a foreigner, I’ve always had this nostalgic, rose-coloured idea of the English sea side. I had visions of a marvellous Victorian past – with majestic promenades, curly wrought iron fencing, and grand ballrooms. Sadly, thanks in part to a declining economy, and an increase in overseas travel, many of the wonderful proms are now dotted with arcades, neon signs and donut shops. Their grand ballrooms turned into bingo halls and the candy shops turned into tacky souvenir stores. However, I am glad to have experienced a Scarborough seaside holiday.
Scarborough in Winter
Hoping to find some semblance of Victorian grandeur, we decided to spend a weekend in Scarborough in North Yorkshire… in November. Ok, so there was some error in our timing, but we didn’t want the heaving chaos of summer crowds, so we just wrapped up warm!
Where we stayed
We were staying at the terrifically beautiful (from the outside) Grand Hotel. Set up the hill overlooking the south bay and prom, this baroque style hotel was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick and finished in 1867. It was, at the time of its opening, the largest hotel in Europe, with 413 rooms. It was also badly damaged in 1914 when the German navy bombarded the seaside town.
The hotel became a Butlins (budget family campsites) in 1978, and was then bought by the Britannia group in 2004. The grand staircase still exists, but the hotel is, for the most part, one of those places that has seen better days. Bad covers bands in the grand hall, bingo in the afternoons, and grey-coloured food. These days, it has that eerie quality of a hotel that yearns for its former grandeur; but where people mainly just come to die.
That said, we only paid £90 for 2 nights (including breakfast), and a dinner voucher (that we declined to use, because of the aforementioned ‘grey’ food); so if you don’t mind the sad undertones of the place, it’s not bad value. And if cover bands and bingo are your thing, then I think I’ve just found you a winner!
We did, luckily, find a nice Italian up the road (Il Piatto – 4 Harcourt Pl), to sate our first night dining requirements.
Things to do in Scarborough on a long weekend
The Promenade
Naturally, we decided to go for a jaunt down to the promenade. At the south end of the south bay prom, is the gorgeous Grade II listed Scarborough Spa. It is a venue for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and live music. Further north, and slightly inland, is the Rotunda Museum; one of the oldest purpose-built museums still in use in the UK; holding a collection about local geology and fossil finds.
Venture any further north (from the Grand Hotel north basically), you are confronted with some of the most abominable pieces of modern architecture ever let loose on an English waterfront. Especially disgusting is the Olympia Leisure building, sitting just under and to the right of the Grand Hotel. This spot used to be home to a wooden dance hall, which sadly burnt down in the 1970s. Surely one of the most dangerous and ugly decades in which to rebuild, the current Olympia building is a grotesque mish-mash of plastic and neon façade, harsh angles, and a sad juxtaposition against the baroque hotel behind. The Coney Island Arcade (pictured), is bliss for the eye comparatively!
Luckily, some of the popular kitschy activities of our more recent seaside holiday history are alive and well – penny slots and amusement rides litter the foreshore. To be honest, when the weather is as it is in the UK, whiling away a few hours spending your penny collection attempting to win soft toy prizes ain’t all bad. The port is also super cute.
Scarborough of Olde
From what I can garner, the seaside fun used to include chair-lifts, a zoo, a pirate ship, and other exciting things for visitors. There is still the open-air theatre, but many of the more daring attractions are gone. However, a trip to Peasholm Park and a jaunt on the North Bay Railway all the way to the Sea Life Centre at Scalby Mill is still reminiscent of Scarborough’s destination holiday hey-day.
Scarborough Castle
In the afternoon, we decided to venture up to Scarborough Castle on a big hill between the two bays. This medieval fortress was a perfect look-out for threats coming by sea. There is also evidence of an iron-age settlement, as well as an Anglo-saxon chapel. A visit to the site and museum is well worth a visit. You also get a fabulous view out over the north sea.
A Scarborough Seaside Holiday
I dearly appreciate having spent a weekend in Scarborough; as much to disrupt my foolish notions of the perfect Victorian seaside holiday, as to learn to enjoy some of the fun kitschy parts. The long view up the prom, bypassing the neon, and along to the port, is lovely. So, my advice? Take the long view of Scarborough, and take it for what it is (and hope that one day some of the Victorian charm is returned)!
Read my article on Coney Island to see how my victorian seaside ideals have changed over time!
All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T31 Rebel + Canon EF Lens 50mm 1:1.8 STM; and an iPhone6s.
