But the origins of this noble Complex, and indeed the place in history of Scarborough as a resort town, are directly attributable to a natural resource - the Spa waters. Visitors to the Spa today can still see the great architecture of the s and many are still surprised by the scale and style of the Grand Hall. The Complex today encompasses the Spa Theatre, the Grand Hall for concerts, the Ocean Room, the Promenade Lounge, Suncourt for open air concerts, and various other rooms, cafes and bar areas.
Friday 10 June The South. Saturday 11 June Rumours of Fleetwood Mac. Friday 17 June The Hollies. Saturday 18 June The Carpenters Story.
Saturday 23 July The Magic of Motown. Saturday 30 July Showaddywaddy. Saturday 6 August Totally Tina. Sunday 14 August Mark Anthony as Prince. The company also turned their attentions to the Spa buildings as well.
A 'gothic' saloon, designed by Henry Wyatt, was opened in It included a concert hall that could seat people, gardens and a promenade. There was also an outside area where orchestras could entertain the visitors.
By the time the new buildings were opened though, they were considered too small for the hordes of visitors that Victorian Scarborough was attracting. Sir Joseph Paxton was called in to redesign the buildings.
His building, which opened in , consisted of a central assembly hall with adjoining galleries, that could seat people. Outside, the sea wall was extended to include a double promenade with a carriage road, a colonnade with shops and an open air bandstand. The new buildings were a symbol of Scarborough's self-confidence in its continuing popularity. In the first cliff tram was built to provide additional access and the great music hall stars of the late 19th century flocked to Scarborough to perform at the Spa.
In fact, the entertainment on offer to the public at Scarborough far surpassed the original purpose of the buildings, as an elegant area to 'take the Scarborough waters'. Scarborough was now well established as a seaside resort and Spa town providing every fashionable amenity. There was a Long Room in St Nicholas Street that provided nightly dancing, music, gaming tables and billiards.
In the afternoon, plays were acted under the management of Mr. Kerregan in , and from , evening performances were given in the theatre. There was also a whole range of accommodation to suit every pocket — board and lodgings, rooms at inns and hostelries, a Georgian house for rent, and later, top quality hotels. Tourists could visit coffee shops and bookshops with circulating libraries, and, enjoy the added attractions of horse racing on the beach, alongside boating and sea-bathing.
Scarborough was one of the first places, if not the first, to use bathing machines. During its Victoria heyday the Spa was considered the most popular music hall venue outside London. The first orchestra appeared in the s, but a series of mishaps and disasters plagued the Spa each time redevelopment occurred. The initial saloon was damaged by heavy seas in , but the worst storm; according to some, of the century, devastated the building, which, as a result, had to be completely re-build in However, by the time it opened, the impressive turreted building, was already too small.
Consequently, Sir Joseph Paxton , the landscape gardener and architect responsible for the grounds of Chatsworth, Derbyshire and the Crystal Palace, London was called in to redesign the complex. The new, improved venue officially opened in Look out for Part II, coming soon.
This is the second part of an article originally published in the Yorkshire Journal Spring Issue, by Sarah Harrison. You can read Part I by clicking here.
Scarborough rapidly became a fashionable spa town and the first original English seaside resort after the discovery, in about , by a Mrs. Farrer of natural mineral springs at South Bay. It also saw the arrival of the first bathing machines in Above: This photo was taken by the well known photographer Frank Meadow Sutcliffe in about Scarborough Castle and harbour can be seen in the distance.
At the edge of the sea are a number of bathing machines and beyond, swimmers can be seen in the sea. There are stalls on the sands and two horse riders on the Foreshore. The bathing machine was a mobile changing room for swimmers, it allowed people to change out of their usual clothes into their bathing costume and then wade into the sea from beaches.
They were wooden carts with four big wheels, steps and small windows. In fact, there were many different designs, ranging from Royalty to the basic bathing machines which were to be seen on the majority of beaches. Some had a small flag which could be raised by the bather as a signal to the driver that they were ready to return to shore.
Above: Bathing machines line the beach at high tide in the North Bay at Scarborough. It opened in and in January , the pier was wrecked in a severe gale. A fisher woman with two baskets full of sea food can be seen in the foreground and fishing boats in full sail out at sea. The machines were pulled by horses to the edge of the water or even into it, if the waves and tide permitted. When the machine stopped the bathers inside emerged through a doorway from the back of the machine directly into the water hidden from the view of others.
After they had had enough time in the water they could re-enter the bathing machine, dry off, change back to their street clothing and be wheeled back to the rental establishment on the beach, emerging fully dressed and avoiding the stares of the crowd. The north promenade and beach bungalows, which can just been seen on the left, were erected just before World War 1.
Here a summer crowd enjoy the new facilities and the days of bathing machines are coming to an end. Bathing machines were rented out by operators whose livelihood depended not only on the renting of bathing machines, but also deck chairs, bathing suits and other beachfront paraphernalia.
Their target market was the newly rising middle class and better off lower class holidaymakers, who now had the time and the transportation to go to the seaside once a year. Above: This old photo faces north towards Castle Hill, across a crowded beach that is full of holidaymakers and traders.
Only three bathing machines can be seen. The nearest one has a raised flag indicating that the last bather had, had enough time in the water and had been returned to shore. The bathing machines remained in active use on beaches until the s, when they began to go out of fashion. This was due to the ever-expanding nature of the bathing costume, first for women and then for men. The machines were then scrapped or became beach huts used as stationary changing rooms for a number of years.
Legal segregation of bathing areas ended in , and the bathing machine declined rapidly. Most of them went out of business and disappeared by , but some have survived as a reminder of those prudish days. Above: The South Bay at Scarborough. To the north is Scarborough Castle and headland in the background.
This was followed closely at South Cliff in
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