Scarborough
Encyclopedia
Scarborough is a large town on the North Sea
coast of North Yorkshire
, England. The modern town lies between 3 - 70 m (10 - 230 ft) above sea level, rising steeply northward and westward from the harbour onto limestone cliffs. The older part of the town lies around the harbour and is protected by a rocky headland.
With a population of around 50,000, Scarborough is the largest holiday resort
on the Yorkshire coast. It is home to residential communities, business, fishing and service industries, plus a growing digital and creative economy.
Scarborough won the 2008/2009 award for the most creative and inspiring entrepreneurship initiative in Europe, and was also named as the most enterprising town in Britain in 2008.
and separates the sea front into a North Bay and a South Bay. The South Bay was the site of the original early medieval settlement and the harbour, which form the current Old Town district. This remains the main focus for tourism, with a sandy beach, cafes, amusements, arcades, theatres and entertainment facilities. The modern commercial town centre has migrated 440 yards (402.3 m) north-west of the harbour area and a 100 feet (30.5 m) above it, and contains the transport hubs, main services, shopping and nightlife. The harbour has undergone major regeneration including the new Albert Strange Pontoons,
a more pedestrian-friendly promenade, street lighting and seating. The North Bay has traditionally been the more peaceful end of the resort and is home to Peasholm Park
which in June 2007 was restored to its Japan
ese-themed glory, complete with reconstructed pagoda
. The park still features a mock maritime battle (based on the Battle of the River Plate
) re-enacted on the boating lake with large model boats and fireworks throughout the summer holiday season. The North Bay Railway is a miniature railway which runs from the park to the Sea Life Centre at Scalby Mills. Until its closure in 2000, Marvel's Amusement Park sat on the hill behind Atlantis and could be reached by one of two cable cars (the pylons for these are still standing). It is now derelict, with the roller coaster and other rides having been moved to other parks.
The North Bay is linked to the South Bay by the Marine Drive, an extensive Victorian promenade, built around the base of the headland. Overlooking both bays is Scarborough Castle
, which was bombarded by the German
warships SMS Derfflinger
and SMS Von der Tann
in the First World War. Both bays have popular sandy beaches and numerous rock-pools at low tide.
Slightly less well known is the South Cliff Promenade situated above the Spa
and South Cliff Gardens, commanding excellent views of the South Bay and old town and from which many iconic postcard views are taken. Its splendid Regency and Victorian terraces are still intact and the mix of quality hotels and desirable apartments form a backdrop to the South Bay. The ITV television drama The Royal
and its recent spin-off
series, The Royal Today
, are filmed in the area. The South Bay has the largest illuminated "Star Disk" anywhere in the UK. It is 85 feet (25.9 m) across and is fitted with subterranean lights representing the 42 brightest stars and major constellations that can be seen from Scarborough in the northern skies.
To the south-west of the town, beside the York to Scarborough railway line
, is an ornamental lake known as Scarborough Mere
. During the 20th century, the Mere was a popular park, with rowing boats, canoes and a miniature pirate ship – the Hispaniola – on which passengers were taken to "Treasure Island" to dig for doubloons. Since the late 1990s the emphasis has been on nature, with "Treasure Island" being paved over to form a new pier area. The lake is now part of the Oliver's Mount Country Park and the Hispaniola now sails out of the South Bay.
, a Viking
raider, there is no archaeological evidence to support claims made during the 1970's as part of a pagent of Scarborough event. The origin of this urban myth is a fragment of an icelandic Saga, apart from the obvious flaws in using stories as historical sources, "the north" referred to would be north from a Icelandic perspective. Clearly this would mean north of Iceland and not Scarborough. Though in the 4th century there had briefly been a Roman
signal station on Scarborough headland, and there is evidence of much earlier Stone Age
and Bronze Age
settlements. However, the new settlement was soon burned to the ground by a rival band of Vikings under Tosti (Tostig Godwinson
), Lord of Falsgrave, and Harald III of Norway. The destruction and massacre meant that very little remained to be recorded in the Domesday survey of 1085. This is also incorrect the lack of evidence supports the fact there was nothing there! Scarborough recovered under King Henry II
, who built a stone castle on the headland, and granted charters in 1155 and 1163, permitting a market on the sands, and establishing rule by burgesses.
Edward II
gave Scarborough Castle
to his favourite, Piers Gaveston
. In his castle at Scarborough, Gaveston was besieged by the barons, captured and carried to Oxford
for execution.
, Scarborough Fair
, permitted in a royal charter of 1253, held a six-week trading festival attracting merchants from all over Europe
. It ran from Assumption Day, 15 August, until Michaelmas Day, 29 September. The fair continued to be held for 500 years, from the 13th century to the 18th century, and is commemorated in the song Scarborough Fair
:
Scarborough and its castle changed hands seven times between Royalists and Parliamentarians during the English Civil War
of the 1640s, enduring two lengthy and violent sieges. Following the civil war, much of the town lay in ruins.
In 1626, Elizabeth Farrow discovered a stream of acidic water running from one of the cliffs to the south of the town. This gave birth to Scarborough Spa
, and Dr Wittie's book about the spa waters published in 1660 attracted a flood of visitors to the town. Scarborough Spa became Britain
's first seaside resort, though the first rolling bathing machine
s were not noted on the sands until 1735. The coming of the Scarborough–York
railway in 1845 increased the tide of visitors. To this day Scarborough railway station
holds the record for the longest seat in any railway station in the world.
This influx of visitors convinced a young architect (John Gibson) with an eye to the future to open Scarborough's first purpose-built hotel. In 1841 a railway link between York and Scarborough was being talked of and he decided that the area above the popular Spa building could be developed. He designed and laid the foundations of a ‘hotel’. (This was a new name derived from the word ‘hostel’ which would serve the same purpose but would be bigger and finer than the traditional inns). Gibson then passed the construction of this hotel to the newly-formed South Cliff Building Company.
On Tuesday, 10 June 1845 Scarborough's first hotel was opened—a marketing coup at the time, as the Grand Hotel, soon to be Europe's largest, was not yet finished. When John Fairgray Sharpin came to visit Scarborough in 1845, he was charmed at first sight.
When the Grand Hotel
was completed in 1867 it was one of the largest hotels in the world and one of the first giant purpose-built hotels in Europe. Four towers represent the seasons, 12 floors represent the months, 52 chimneys represent the weeks and originally 365 bedrooms represented the days of the year. A blue plaque
outside marks where the novelist Anne Brontë
died in 1849.
During World War I
, the town was bombarded by German
warships of the High Seas Fleet
, an act which shocked the British (see Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby
).
, along with its gardens, to fall into the sea. Although the slip was shored up with rocks and the land has long since grassed over, evidence of the cliff's collapse remains clearly visible from The Esplanade, near Shuttleworth Gardens.
Scarborough is one of Yorkshire's 'renaissance towns', having been granted government support for securing a vibrant future. As a result there are many building projects to renovate classic Victorian buildings and quality contemporary architecture.
The town has a fine Anglican church, St. Martin-on-the-Hill. It was built in 1862-63 as the parish church of South Cliff and contains works by Dante Gabriel Rosetti, William Morris
, Edward Burne Jones and Ford Maddox Brown. The church remains very active and thriving.
Inhabitants of the town are generally referred to as Scarborians. Natives of Whitby
call people from Scarborough, Algerinos. The origin of this nickname comes from the sinking of a boat called The Algerino not far from Scarborough. The lifeboat
crews of several neighbouring towns, (Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay
, etc.), responded while the Scarborough lifeboat did not, and so as a constant reminder they are referred to as 'Algerinos' and Scarborough 'Algerinoland'.
Scarborough's fishing industry is still active, though only a shadow of its former self. The working harbour is home to a fish market including a shop and wooden stalls where fresh, locally-caught seafood can be purchased by the public.
The tourism trade continues to be a major part of the local economy despite the current affordability of foreign holidays. While weekend and mid-week-break trade are tending to replace the traditional week-long family holiday, the beaches and attractions are always very busy throughout summer – a marked contrast to the quieter winter months when Scarborough is often seen as a peaceful bolt-hole from cities such as Leeds and Bradford. Confidence in the hospitality industry is high, evidenced by major refits in recent years, often targeted at a higher-spending clientele. Significant amongst these is the Grand
, Scarborough's biggest hotel, which overlooks the South Bay, and also the Palm Court Hotel.
In early 2009, a Travelodge
opened on St Nicholas Cliff, in close proximity to the Town Centre and busy South Bay.
, boutique stores can be found on Bar Street and St Thomas Street. The town also has an indoor market with a large range of antique shops and independent traders in its vaults, and a smaller market on the South Bay.
chain, is a Scarborough-born company with an international profile. The firm of Plaxton
s has been building coaches and buses since 1907 and is still one of Scarborough's largest employers.
.
In 2010 the town was the winner of the 'Great Town Award', as nominated by the Academy of Urbanism, beating Chester
and Cambridge
respectively. In 2006 and 2010, Scarborough won a Gold Award at the Britain in Bloom
ceremony in the 'Large Coastal' category, and the best resort for Beach Donkeys, in 2009.
seafront and harbour area and one of Europe's fastest internet connections (100MB).
which had, however, fallen to 7.68% at the time of the 2001 census. However, seasonal poverty is still an issue for many residents.
Scarborough over recent years has seen some major employers pull out. This includes such businesses as Scarborough Building Society which was taken over by Skipton Building Society which in turn was followed several months later with the closure of the Scarborough Building Society head office. Prior to this event was the closure of two print works owned and operated by Polestar Group. All of the above created a large amount of unemployment in the local area.
is the local district general NHS
hospital. It is run by the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which provides a range of acute hospital services for around 240,000 people living in and around Scarborough, Bridlington, Whitby and Ryedale. It is also the largest employer in the area employing over 2,400 staff.
Scarborough railway station
is close to the town centre and runs services from York
, Leeds
, Manchester
and Liverpool
on the North TransPennine route and from Hull
on the Yorkshire Coast Line
. In the Summer, services also run from London
. It has the longest station seat in the world at 152 yards (139 m) in length.
Scarborough has 25 main bus routes, operated by Scarborough and District
, Arriva North East
and Yorkshire Coastliner
. These link the town centre with its suburbs and local towns, York
, Hull
, Middlesbrough
and the North York Moors
.
The town is served by two Park and Ride services, located on the A64 and A165. Buses run from each terminus to the town centre and South Bay at least every 12 minutes seven days a week, with stopping points around the town centre. Buses from the Filey Road terminus on the A165 also stop at the University
. Open top tourist buses also run along the sea front and Marine Drive, linking the South and North bays.
Although the town has no ferry services, there are transport links to Hull
which runs frequent services to northern Europe.
Scarborough has a wide cultural scene, spread across the town and seafront. It draws people not only from around the country, but from across the world.
is based in Scarborough where he has lived for a number of years. He has produced seventy five plays in Scarborough and is the artistic director of the famous Stephen Joseph Theatre
, where almost all his plays receive their first performance. The town also plays host to the annual National Student Drama Festival
, which takes place at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, the Spa Centre and other venues around the town. The Futurist Theatre
is a theatre and cinema on the seafront, of the South Bay. The Open Air Theatre
, seating 6,500, has been recently restored, and was officially opened by The Queen on 20 May 2010.
These fairly recent developments, married to a long-established museum and visual arts facilities, hint at Scarborough's desire to re-invent itself as a creative and arts-based town. In 2006 work started on Wood End Museum — former home to the Sitwells
— to convert it into a creative centre including workspace for artists and the digital cluster, plus an exhibition space. The town's Rotunda Museum
has undergone a multi-million-pound redevelopment to become a national centre for geology. 2006 also saw the formation of a creative industries network called 'Creative Coast' comprising artists, designers, writers and other creatives with the shared vision of a culturally vibrant economy on the North Yorkshire coast.
Scarborough is also home to Yorkshire Coast Art. Check out the website www.yorkshirecoastart.co.uk
, conducted by Max Jaffa
. Former conductors include the composer of the waltz 'Nights of Gladness', Charles Ancliffe
.
The town is home to a significant jazz festival each September and in the summer boasts 'Beached Festival
' – an eclectic rock and pop festival which takes place on the South Bay beach and features at least 50% local talent alongside internationally-known artists. In summer 2005, Scarborough played host to the Sonic Arts Network
Expo featuring cutting-edge performances and installations.
'Acoustic Gathering', a free one-day music festival, has been held annually in Peasholm Park since September 2005. This features over 20 bands and singer/songwriters from all parts of the UK including a number of local groups and musicians, all performing from the bandstand in the centre of the lake.
Singer-songwriter Ashley Hicklin
grew up in Scarborough and recorded a music video for the song "All The Time In The World" at Scarborough's Spa Complex and in the amusement arcades. The indie band One Night Only
also recorded a video in Scarborough for their song "Just for Tonight". It features Scarborough's South Bay and the amusement arcades.
The town and was the main influence behind Alternative Rock band Everyone An Army's second EP "A Coastal Dance On The Grave Of Romance" who were born and raised there.
which was the biggest entertainment investment in Scarborough for over thirty years at time of construction.
Over recent years Scarborough has seen a demise in its nightlife with the closure of nightclubs Mansion (formerly Club XS), Boogie Nights (formerly Planet 2000 & Laughtons) and finally Studio 1.
There are a wide variety of restaurants such as Italian, Indian, Mexican
, Chinese Thai food and classic Fish
venues, again centred around St Thomas Street. Scarborough is famous for its strong independent chains as well as larger chains like Ask
on the seafront. there is also the black swan on queen street.
The festival is based around Scarboroughs West Pier and North Wharf where you will find a maritime themed exhibition, The Cropton Brewery Real Ale Bar and Children's Entertainment and our festival main stage. In addition there is the well known ‘Sea Fish Cookery’ marquee where visiting chefs demonstrate the art of sea - food preparation.
and VJs
.
The films Little Voice
, Possession, and A Chorus of Disapproval
were filmed on location in Scarborough and the surrounding area. Other films that have filmed scenes in Scarborough include Miranda
, Dancing Queen
, Beltenbros, The Brides in the Bath
and The Damned United
. Television drama series filmed in the Scarborough area include Heartbeat its spin-off series The Royal
and Five Days 2, the sequel to Five Days
, was partly filmed in the town.
Innovative events are continually added to the Scarborough calendar, including in February 2009, when 'Coastival' a musical arts extravaganza was launched.
The town has a small higher education institution, the University of Hull, Scarborough Campus
, (formerly North Riding College and University College Scarborough) and is home to Yorkshire Coast College
and Scarborough Sixth Form College
. The five main state secondary schools in Scarborough are Graham School
, George Pindar Community Sports College (formerly Pindar School
), Raincliffe School
, Scalby School
and St Augustine's Roman Catholic School, the last being rated as outstanding in a recent Ofsted report. Graham and Raincliffe have recently become a federation with the Raincliffe site now called lower school, and Graham, the higher school.
(for ages 3 to 18 years) and Bramcote (ages 4 to 13 years). Bramcote faced closure in 2009 despite releasing equity by mortgaging the four acre site. Scarborough College abolished A-levels and has been an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School since June 2006.
Scarborough International School of English, established in 1968 is accredited by the British Council and members of English UK and English UK North. The school offers English Language courses to students from around the world.
There is also a private international language school called Anglolang, established in 1985, which teaches the English language
to overseas students, companies, educational institutions, organised groups and individuals.
Education in Scarborough is notable for its commitment to the digital economy with 2006 seeing the formation of the University of Hull's School of Arts and New Media at the Scarborough Campus. Scarborough is one of the UK mainland's first wireless campuses.
Club was founded in May 1869, and is the oldest surviving rowing club on the north-east
coast. For more than 100 years, sea rowing has taken place on the Yorkshire coast between the Tees and the Humber
. Beginning with friendly rivalry between the fishermen and the jet miners from Blyth
(the German Ocean Race), the sport has progressed to what it is today. More recent successes for the club include Bob Hewitt, who now competes as a lightweight
rower for the national team. In 2006 the club finally won the acclaimed Wilson Cup, until then held by rival clubs in neighbouring town Whitby
for over eighty years. Rowing takes place throughout the summer months.
The Blue Riband
event for Scarborough Yacht Club, is the annual 210 nautical mile
race, from the town, to IJmuiden in the Netherlands
.
Scarborough is home to the Oliver's Mount
racing circuit. This track is composed of twisty public roads and has played host to domestic motorcycling and rallying events for many years. Noted motorcycle racers who have raced at Oliver's Mount include Barry Sheene
and Ron Haslam
.
Scarborough Cricket Club won the ECB National Club Cricket Championship
at Lord's
on five occasions between 1972 and 1982, a record number of victories. The club also hosts the annual Scarborough Cricket Festival
, and Yorkshire County Cricket Club
uses North Marine Road
, for a selection of home fixtures throughout the season. The club competes in the Yorkshire ECB County Premier League
, in which as the Yorkshire League, the club enjoyed great success.
The former Scarborough Football Club
enjoyed a career in the Football League during the 1990s before being relegated to the Conference North in 2006 and to the Northern Premier League
the following year. One of its greatest achievements was winning the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium on three occasions. They also held the distinction of being the first club to win automatic promotion to the Football League, when in 1987 they were promoted as champions of the GM Vauxhall Conference
. In 2007 a new club, Scarborough Athletic
, was formed and is currently playing its home matches in neighbouring Bridlington
.
In 2007, the town hosted the World Thundercat Championships (for inflatable powerboats), and similar events in 2008. Scarborough Rugby Union Football Club moved to a new £4-million ground development on the outskirts of the town in January 2009, which will also be home to Scarborough Athletic Club, and the nationally achieving Scarborough Gymnastics Academy has a highly developed, specialist facility. Future redevelopment is proposed for Scarborough Sports Centre (a past venue for international tennis tournaments). Scarborough Indoor Bowls Centre is utilized for a variety of events, throughout the year.
The town has two principal golf
courses, North Cliff and South Cliff, plus some smaller ventures. Ganton Golf Club
, which has hosted tournaments such as the Ryder Cup
and Walker Cup
, is situated approximately 8 miles to the west of Scarborough.
Pindar School
, which is based at Eastfield
, is a Sports Community College, and thus is home to Scarborough Pirates ARLFC
, Scarborough Seahawks Basketball and Scarborough Hockey Club, the centre also boasts a state-of-the-art tennis
facility. Scarborough Table Tennis
Centre is located at Graham School.
A national martial arts organisation, The Empire Martial Arts Association, is based in Scarborough.
These people were all born in Scarborough:
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast of North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England. The modern town lies between 3 - 70 m (10 - 230 ft) above sea level, rising steeply northward and westward from the harbour onto limestone cliffs. The older part of the town lies around the harbour and is protected by a rocky headland.
With a population of around 50,000, Scarborough is the largest holiday resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
on the Yorkshire coast. It is home to residential communities, business, fishing and service industries, plus a growing digital and creative economy.
Scarborough won the 2008/2009 award for the most creative and inspiring entrepreneurship initiative in Europe, and was also named as the most enterprising town in Britain in 2008.
Geography
The most striking feature of the town's geography is a high rocky promontory pointing eastward into the North Sea. The promontory supports the 11th century ruins of Scarborough CastleScarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England...
and separates the sea front into a North Bay and a South Bay. The South Bay was the site of the original early medieval settlement and the harbour, which form the current Old Town district. This remains the main focus for tourism, with a sandy beach, cafes, amusements, arcades, theatres and entertainment facilities. The modern commercial town centre has migrated 440 yards (402.3 m) north-west of the harbour area and a 100 feet (30.5 m) above it, and contains the transport hubs, main services, shopping and nightlife. The harbour has undergone major regeneration including the new Albert Strange Pontoons,
a more pedestrian-friendly promenade, street lighting and seating. The North Bay has traditionally been the more peaceful end of the resort and is home to Peasholm Park
Peasholm Park
Peasholm Park is an oriental themed municipal park located in the seaside town of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1912 and became a favourite venue for galas, displays and exhibitions. The park was extended to include Peasholm Glen, a natural ravine, in 1924...
which in June 2007 was restored to its Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese-themed glory, complete with reconstructed pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
. The park still features a mock maritime battle (based on the Battle of the River Plate
Battle of the River Plate
The Battle of the River Plate was the first naval battle in the Second World War. The German pocket battleship had been commerce raiding since the start of the war in September 1939...
) re-enacted on the boating lake with large model boats and fireworks throughout the summer holiday season. The North Bay Railway is a miniature railway which runs from the park to the Sea Life Centre at Scalby Mills. Until its closure in 2000, Marvel's Amusement Park sat on the hill behind Atlantis and could be reached by one of two cable cars (the pylons for these are still standing). It is now derelict, with the roller coaster and other rides having been moved to other parks.
The North Bay is linked to the South Bay by the Marine Drive, an extensive Victorian promenade, built around the base of the headland. Overlooking both bays is Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England...
, which was bombarded by the German
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
warships SMS Derfflinger
SMS Derfflinger
SMS Derfflinger"SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff", or "His Majesty's Ship" in German. was a battlecruiser of the German Kaiserliche Marine built just before the outbreak of World War I. She was the lead vessel of her class of three ships; her sister ships were and...
and SMS Von der Tann
SMS Von der Tann
SMS Von der Tann"SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff", or "His Majesty's Ship" in German. was the first battlecruiser built for the German Kaiserliche Marine, as well as Germany's first major turbine-powered warship. At the time of her construction, Von der Tann was the fastest dreadnought-type...
in the First World War. Both bays have popular sandy beaches and numerous rock-pools at low tide.
Slightly less well known is the South Cliff Promenade situated above the Spa
The Spa, Scarborough
The Spa, Scarborough known officially as the Scarborough Spa Complex is located in Scarborough’s South Bay and is a venue for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and events on the Yorkshire Coast...
and South Cliff Gardens, commanding excellent views of the South Bay and old town and from which many iconic postcard views are taken. Its splendid Regency and Victorian terraces are still intact and the mix of quality hotels and desirable apartments form a backdrop to the South Bay. The ITV television drama The Royal
The Royal
The Royal is a British medical drama series produced by ITV. The show comprises one hour episodes which were normally first aired on ITV in the Sunday early evening slot....
and its recent spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series, The Royal Today
The Royal Today
The Royal Today was a British medical soap opera, a spin-off of the similarly themed drama, The Royal. The concept is that whilst The Royal is set in the late 1960s, The Royal Today featured the same hospital in the present day, with a new set of characters working in the same location...
, are filmed in the area. The South Bay has the largest illuminated "Star Disk" anywhere in the UK. It is 85 feet (25.9 m) across and is fitted with subterranean lights representing the 42 brightest stars and major constellations that can be seen from Scarborough in the northern skies.
To the south-west of the town, beside the York to Scarborough railway line
York to Scarborough Line
The York to Scarborough Line runs between the city of York, England, and the town of Scarborough. Towns and villages served along the way are Malton, Norton-on-Derwent and Seamer.-History:...
, is an ornamental lake known as Scarborough Mere
Scarborough Mere
Scarborough Mere is a natural lake in the Weaponness Valley, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England.Formerly measuring in area, the construction of the York and North Midland Railway line from York to Scarborough bisected the Mere in 1845...
. During the 20th century, the Mere was a popular park, with rowing boats, canoes and a miniature pirate ship – the Hispaniola – on which passengers were taken to "Treasure Island" to dig for doubloons. Since the late 1990s the emphasis has been on nature, with "Treasure Island" being paved over to form a new pier area. The lake is now part of the Oliver's Mount Country Park and the Hispaniola now sails out of the South Bay.
Early history
The town was not founded around 966 AD as Skarðaborg by Thorgils SkarthiThorgils Skarthi
Thorgils Skarthi was a Viking raider and poet who, in about 966 founded, Scarborough, England which was then known as Skarðaborg....
, a Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
raider, there is no archaeological evidence to support claims made during the 1970's as part of a pagent of Scarborough event. The origin of this urban myth is a fragment of an icelandic Saga, apart from the obvious flaws in using stories as historical sources, "the north" referred to would be north from a Icelandic perspective. Clearly this would mean north of Iceland and not Scarborough. Though in the 4th century there had briefly been a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
signal station on Scarborough headland, and there is evidence of much earlier Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
settlements. However, the new settlement was soon burned to the ground by a rival band of Vikings under Tosti (Tostig Godwinson
Tostig Godwinson
Tostig Godwinson was an Anglo-Saxon Earl of Northumbria and brother of King Harold Godwinson, the last crowned english King of England.-Early life:...
), Lord of Falsgrave, and Harald III of Norway. The destruction and massacre meant that very little remained to be recorded in the Domesday survey of 1085. This is also incorrect the lack of evidence supports the fact there was nothing there! Scarborough recovered under King Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
, who built a stone castle on the headland, and granted charters in 1155 and 1163, permitting a market on the sands, and establishing rule by burgesses.
Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
gave Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England...
to his favourite, Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favourite of King Edward II of England. At a young age he made a good impression on King Edward I of England, and was assigned to the household of the King's son, Edward of Carnarvon...
. In his castle at Scarborough, Gaveston was besieged by the barons, captured and carried to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
for execution.
Middle Ages and beyond
In the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Scarborough Fair
Scarborough Fair
"Scarborough Fair" is a traditional ballad of the United Kingdom.The song tells the tale of a young man, who tells the listener to ask his former lover to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she...
, permitted in a royal charter of 1253, held a six-week trading festival attracting merchants from all over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It ran from Assumption Day, 15 August, until Michaelmas Day, 29 September. The fair continued to be held for 500 years, from the 13th century to the 18th century, and is commemorated in the song Scarborough Fair
Scarborough Fair
"Scarborough Fair" is a traditional ballad of the United Kingdom.The song tells the tale of a young man, who tells the listener to ask his former lover to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she...
:
- Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
- —parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme....
Scarborough and its castle changed hands seven times between Royalists and Parliamentarians during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
of the 1640s, enduring two lengthy and violent sieges. Following the civil war, much of the town lay in ruins.
In 1626, Elizabeth Farrow discovered a stream of acidic water running from one of the cliffs to the south of the town. This gave birth to Scarborough Spa
The Spa, Scarborough
The Spa, Scarborough known officially as the Scarborough Spa Complex is located in Scarborough’s South Bay and is a venue for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and events on the Yorkshire Coast...
, and Dr Wittie's book about the spa waters published in 1660 attracted a flood of visitors to the town. Scarborough Spa became Britain
Early Modern Britain
Early modern Britain is the history of the island of Great Britain, roughly corresponding to the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Major historical events in Early Modern British history include the English Renaissance, the English Reformation and Scottish Reformation, the English Civil War, the...
's first seaside resort, though the first rolling bathing machine
Bathing machine
The bathing machine was a device, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, to allow people to change out of their usual clothes, possibly change into swimwear and then wade in the ocean at beaches. Bathing machines were roofed and walled wooden carts rolled into the sea...
s were not noted on the sands until 1735. The coming of the Scarborough–York
York to Scarborough Line
The York to Scarborough Line runs between the city of York, England, and the town of Scarborough. Towns and villages served along the way are Malton, Norton-on-Derwent and Seamer.-History:...
railway in 1845 increased the tide of visitors. To this day Scarborough railway station
Scarborough railway station
Scarborough railway station serves the seaside town of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. It lies east of York and is one of the eastern termini on the North TransPennine route operated by First TransPennine Express...
holds the record for the longest seat in any railway station in the world.
This influx of visitors convinced a young architect (John Gibson) with an eye to the future to open Scarborough's first purpose-built hotel. In 1841 a railway link between York and Scarborough was being talked of and he decided that the area above the popular Spa building could be developed. He designed and laid the foundations of a ‘hotel’. (This was a new name derived from the word ‘hostel’ which would serve the same purpose but would be bigger and finer than the traditional inns). Gibson then passed the construction of this hotel to the newly-formed South Cliff Building Company.
On Tuesday, 10 June 1845 Scarborough's first hotel was opened—a marketing coup at the time, as the Grand Hotel, soon to be Europe's largest, was not yet finished. When John Fairgray Sharpin came to visit Scarborough in 1845, he was charmed at first sight.
When the Grand Hotel
Grand Hotel (Scarborough)
The Grand Hotel is a large hotel in Scarborough, England, overlooking the town's South Bay. It is now a Grade II* listed building that is owned by Britannia Hotels, and has undergone a £7 million refurbishment....
was completed in 1867 it was one of the largest hotels in the world and one of the first giant purpose-built hotels in Europe. Four towers represent the seasons, 12 floors represent the months, 52 chimneys represent the weeks and originally 365 bedrooms represented the days of the year. A blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
outside marks where the novelist Anne Brontë
Anne Brontë
Anne Brontë was a British novelist and poet, the youngest member of the Brontë literary family.The daughter of a poor Irish clergyman in the Church of England, Anne Brontë lived most of her life with her family at the parish of Haworth on the Yorkshire moors. For a couple of years she went to a...
died in 1849.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the town was bombarded by German
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
warships of the High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
, an act which shocked the British (see Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby
Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby
The raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby, which took place on 16 December 1914, was an attack by the Imperial German Navy on the British seaport towns of Scarborough, Hartlepool, West Hartlepool, and Whitby. The attack resulted in 137 fatalities and 592 casualties, many of which were civilians...
).
Modern Scarborough
In June 1993 Scarborough made headlines around the world when a landslip caused part of the Holbeck Hall HotelHolbeck Hall Hotel
The Holbeck Hall Hotel was a clifftop hotel in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, owned by English Rose Hotels. The hotel had scenic views of the sea and surrounding area. It was built in 1879 by George Alderson Smith as a private residence, and was later converted to a hotel. On 3 June 1993, a...
, along with its gardens, to fall into the sea. Although the slip was shored up with rocks and the land has long since grassed over, evidence of the cliff's collapse remains clearly visible from The Esplanade, near Shuttleworth Gardens.
Scarborough is one of Yorkshire's 'renaissance towns', having been granted government support for securing a vibrant future. As a result there are many building projects to renovate classic Victorian buildings and quality contemporary architecture.
The town has a fine Anglican church, St. Martin-on-the-Hill. It was built in 1862-63 as the parish church of South Cliff and contains works by Dante Gabriel Rosetti, William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
, Edward Burne Jones and Ford Maddox Brown. The church remains very active and thriving.
Inhabitants of the town are generally referred to as Scarborians. Natives of Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
call people from Scarborough, Algerinos. The origin of this nickname comes from the sinking of a boat called The Algerino not far from Scarborough. The lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
crews of several neighbouring towns, (Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay
Robin Hood's Bay
Robin Hood’s Bay is a small fishing village and a bay located five miles south of Whitby and 15 miles north of Scarborough on the coast of North Yorkshire, England. Bay Town, its local name, is in the ancient chapelry of Fylingdales in the wapentake of Whitby Strand.-Toponymy:The origin of the name...
, etc.), responded while the Scarborough lifeboat did not, and so as a constant reminder they are referred to as 'Algerinos' and Scarborough 'Algerinoland'.
Climate
The climate is temperate with warm summers and cool, wet winters. The hottest months of the year, and the best time for hitting the beach, are from June to September, with temperatures reaching an average high of 19°C (66°F) and 11°C (52°F) at night. The average daytime temperature in winter is 9°C (48°F) and 5°C (41°F) at night.Economy
The tourism trade continues to be a major part of the local economy despite the current affordability of foreign holidays. While weekend and mid-week-break trade are tending to replace the traditional week-long family holiday, the beaches and attractions are always very busy throughout summer – a marked contrast to the quieter winter months when Scarborough is often seen as a peaceful bolt-hole from cities such as Leeds and Bradford. Confidence in the hospitality industry is high, evidenced by major refits in recent years, often targeted at a higher-spending clientele. Significant amongst these is the Grand
Grand Hotel (Scarborough)
The Grand Hotel is a large hotel in Scarborough, England, overlooking the town's South Bay. It is now a Grade II* listed building that is owned by Britannia Hotels, and has undergone a £7 million refurbishment....
, Scarborough's biggest hotel, which overlooks the South Bay, and also the Palm Court Hotel.
In early 2009, a Travelodge
Travelodge UK
Travelodge Hotels Limited is a private company operating in the hotels and hospitality industry throughout the United Kingdom. Branded simply as Travelodge or Travelodge UK, it is the second largest in the budget hotel sector and third biggest hotel chain in the UK by number of bedrooms...
opened on St Nicholas Cliff, in close proximity to the Town Centre and busy South Bay.
Shopping
Scarborough's busy town centre has many major shopping chains alongside boutique independent shops. As well as a main pedestrianised shopping street (home to various chain stores and eateries) and the Brunswick shopping centreBrunswick shopping centre
The Brunswick Shopping Centre is a small shopping centre located in the centre of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It was built on the site of an old Debenhams store and incorporates a new branch of the chain.-Architecture:...
, boutique stores can be found on Bar Street and St Thomas Street. The town also has an indoor market with a large range of antique shops and independent traders in its vaults, and a smaller market on the South Bay.
Industries
The printing industry is well represented with Pindar having its main base on the business park. Pindar, which also owns the AlphaGraphicsAlphaGraphics
AlphaGraphics is a franchised chain of more than 260 independently owned and operated full-service print shops.AlphaGraphics business centers are franchised by AlphaGraphics, Inc., part of the UK-based Pindar Group. AlphaGraphics was founded by entrepreneur Rodger Ford in Tucson, Arizona, in 1969,...
chain, is a Scarborough-born company with an international profile. The firm of Plaxton
Plaxton
Plaxton is a builder of bus and coach vehicle bodies based in Scarborough, England.-History:The Plaxton of today is the successor to a business founded in Scarborough in 1907 by Frederick William Plaxton.-Beginnings:...
s has been building coaches and buses since 1907 and is still one of Scarborough's largest employers.
Creative industries
The Creative Industries have been cited as playing a vital role in the regeneration of Scarborough – a report in 2005 estimated that they comprised 19% of the town's economy. The creative industries were also a major focus of Scarborough's winning entry in the 2008 Enterprising Britain competition with a representative from Woodend Creative Workspace and scarborough-based Electric Angel Design representing the town in the Yorkshire and Humber regional heats. In the finals in London on 16 October 2008 Scarborough won the title of Britain's Most Enterprising Town, and subsequently went on to win the European Enterprise Awards as Great Britain's representative, on 13 May 2009 in PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
In 2010 the town was the winner of the 'Great Town Award', as nominated by the Academy of Urbanism, beating Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
respectively. In 2006 and 2010, Scarborough won a Gold Award at the Britain in Bloom
Britain in Bloom
RHS Britain in Bloom, supported by Anglian Home Improvements, is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France. It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society ...
ceremony in the 'Large Coastal' category, and the best resort for Beach Donkeys, in 2009.
Digital connectivity
Scarborough's recent investment in digital connectivity is significant. The town has the UK's first free Wi-FiWi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
seafront and harbour area and one of Europe's fastest internet connections (100MB).
Unemployment
The Castle ward was for many years affected by significant unemploymentUnemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
which had, however, fallen to 7.68% at the time of the 2001 census. However, seasonal poverty is still an issue for many residents.
Scarborough over recent years has seen some major employers pull out. This includes such businesses as Scarborough Building Society which was taken over by Skipton Building Society which in turn was followed several months later with the closure of the Scarborough Building Society head office. Prior to this event was the closure of two print works owned and operated by Polestar Group. All of the above created a large amount of unemployment in the local area.
Healthcare
Scarborough General HospitalScarborough General Hospital
Scarborough General Hospital is an NHS district general hospital in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It is run by the Scarborough and NE Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust....
is the local district general NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
hospital. It is run by the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which provides a range of acute hospital services for around 240,000 people living in and around Scarborough, Bridlington, Whitby and Ryedale. It is also the largest employer in the area employing over 2,400 staff.
Transport
Scarborough has four major roads serving the town and also links it to other major towns and city's.- A64A64 roadThe A64 is a road in North and West Yorkshire, England which links Leeds, York and Scarborough. The A64 starts as the A64 ring road motorway in Leeds and then is a dual carriageway for the rest of its route, except parts of the road from Malton to Scarborough.The road approximates a section of the...
- Main road that terminates in the town centre, linking Scarborough with MaltonMalton, North YorkshireMalton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
, YorkYorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, the A19A19 roadThe A19 is a major road in England running approximately parallel to and east of the A1 road, although the two roads meet at the northern end of the A19, the two roads originally met at the southern end of the A19 in Doncaster but the old route of the A1 was changed to the A638. From Sunderland...
and the A1(M). This is the main tourist route to the town and the only Dual CarriagewayDual carriagewayA dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
road in Scarborough. - A165A165 roadThe A165 is a road that links Scarborough and Kingston upon Hull, both in Yorkshire, England. It is close to the coast for the northern part of the route...
- This is the coastal route that links the town with FileyFileyFiley is a small town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the borough of Scarborough and is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on the North Sea coast. Although it started out as a fishing village, it has a large beach and is a popular tourist resort...
, BridlingtonBridlingtonBridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
and HullKingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
. In 2008, a new road was opened to bypass Osgodby to the south of Scarborough. This now forms part of the A165. - A170A170 roadThe A170 is an A road in North Yorkshire, England. It begins at Thirsk, spouting off from the A19 road after about it reaches the very steep viewpoint Sutton Bank, after a steep climb it enters the North Yorkshire Moors and the Hambleton Hills then it reaches the small town of Helmsley and the...
- This links Scarborough to the North York MoorsNorth York MoorsThe North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of , and it has a population of about 25,000...
and ThirskThirskThirsk is a small market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The local travel links are located a mile from the town centre to Thirsk railway station and to Durham Tees Valley Airport...
to the west. - A171A171 roadThe A171 is a road in England that links the North Yorkshire towns of Middlesbrough and Scarborough. Locally it is known as The Moors Road.It takes the following route*starts at Middlesbrough, heads south*turns east at Nunthorpe*past Guisborough...
- This is the coastal route to the north that links the town with WhitbyWhitbyWhitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
and MiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
.
Scarborough railway station
Scarborough railway station serves the seaside town of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. It lies east of York and is one of the eastern termini on the North TransPennine route operated by First TransPennine Express...
is close to the town centre and runs services from York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on the North TransPennine route and from Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
on the Yorkshire Coast Line
Yorkshire Coast Line
The Yorkshire Coast Line is a railway line in northern England. It runs northwards from Hull Paragon to Bridlington and Scarborough calling at other intermediate stations.-History:...
. In the Summer, services also run from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It has the longest station seat in the world at 152 yards (139 m) in length.
Scarborough has 25 main bus routes, operated by Scarborough and District
East Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire Motor Services is a large bus and coach operator which operates throughout Kingston upon Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, the North Yorkshire coast and the North York Moors. In and around Scarborough, EYMS operates as Scarborough & District Motor Services...
, Arriva North East
Arriva North East
Arriva North East is a division of the transport group Arriva. It is a major provider of bus services around north east England, alongside Stagecoach North East, and Go North East...
and Yorkshire Coastliner
Yorkshire Coastliner
Yorkshire Coastliner is a bus operator based in Malton in North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by the Blazefield Group who also own, amongst others, Harrogate & District and Keighley & District in Yorkshire....
. These link the town centre with its suburbs and local towns, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
and the North York Moors
North York Moors
The North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of , and it has a population of about 25,000...
.
The town is served by two Park and Ride services, located on the A64 and A165. Buses run from each terminus to the town centre and South Bay at least every 12 minutes seven days a week, with stopping points around the town centre. Buses from the Filey Road terminus on the A165 also stop at the University
University of Hull Scarborough Campus
The University of Hull Scarborough Campus is a higher education institution in the North Yorkshire town of Scarborough in England, as well as a satellite campus of the University of Hull.-History:...
. Open top tourist buses also run along the sea front and Marine Drive, linking the South and North bays.
Although the town has no ferry services, there are transport links to Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
which runs frequent services to northern Europe.
Culture
Drama
Dramatist Alan AyckbournAlan Ayckbourn
Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE is a prolific English playwright. He has written and produced seventy-three full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where all but four of his plays have received their...
is based in Scarborough where he has lived for a number of years. He has produced seventy five plays in Scarborough and is the artistic director of the famous Stephen Joseph Theatre
Stephen Joseph Theatre
The Stephen Joseph Theatre is a theatre in the round in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England that was founded by Stephen Joseph and was the first theatre in the round in Britain....
, where almost all his plays receive their first performance. The town also plays host to the annual National Student Drama Festival
National Student Drama Festival
The National Student Drama Festival was founded in 1956 by the Sunday Times arts columnist - the festival's first artistic director - Kenneth Pearson, the Sunday Times theatre critic Harold Hobson, and NUS president Frank Copplestone. The Sunday Times Editor, H.V...
, which takes place at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, the Spa Centre and other venues around the town. The Futurist Theatre
Futurist Theatre
The Futurist Theatre is a theatre and cinema in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It is located on Foreshore Road, on the sea front of the South Bay....
is a theatre and cinema on the seafront, of the South Bay. The Open Air Theatre
Scarborough Open Air Theatre
Scarborough Open Air Theatre is an open air theatre in Northstead Manor Gardens, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1932. In 2008 planning permission was received for a major renovation. The £3.5 million scheme to transform Scarborough's Open Air Theatre was completed in May 2010...
, seating 6,500, has been recently restored, and was officially opened by The Queen on 20 May 2010.
Art
The area is also home to hundreds of artists working in a wide variety of media and boasts several galleries. The presence of the University of Hull's School of Arts and New Media in the town helps fuel the vibrant music and arts scene.These fairly recent developments, married to a long-established museum and visual arts facilities, hint at Scarborough's desire to re-invent itself as a creative and arts-based town. In 2006 work started on Wood End Museum — former home to the Sitwells
The Sitwells
The Sitwells , from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, were three siblings, who formed an identifiable literary and artistic clique around themselves in London in the period roughly 1916 to 1930...
— to convert it into a creative centre including workspace for artists and the digital cluster, plus an exhibition space. The town's Rotunda Museum
Rotunda Museum
The Rotunda Museum is one of the oldest purpose-built museums still in use in the United Kingdom. The curved grade II* listed building was constructed in 1829 as one of the country's first purpose-built museums...
has undergone a multi-million-pound redevelopment to become a national centre for geology. 2006 also saw the formation of a creative industries network called 'Creative Coast' comprising artists, designers, writers and other creatives with the shared vision of a culturally vibrant economy on the North Yorkshire coast.
Scarborough is also home to Yorkshire Coast Art. Check out the website www.yorkshirecoastart.co.uk
Cinema
Scarborough currently has two cinemas one at the Futurist Theatre on Sandside and the other is Hollywood Plaza on North Marine Road. Both of these cinemas have been operating a number of years.Music
The Grade II listed Scarborough Spa complex is home to the Scarborough Spa Orchestra, the last remaining seaside orchestra in the UK. The orchestra gives ten concerts every week during the summer months, playing music from an extensive repertoire of classical and light music with no programme repeats. It became famous during the 1950s and 1960s when concerts from the Palm Court in Scarborough were frequently featured on BBC radioBBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
, conducted by Max Jaffa
Max Jaffa
Max Jaffa O.B.E. was a British light orchestral violinist and bandleader. He established a reputation in the field of light music which was unparalleled in Britain....
. Former conductors include the composer of the waltz 'Nights of Gladness', Charles Ancliffe
Charles Ancliffe
Charles Ancliffe was a British composer of light music, chiefly remembered for his waltzes.-Life and works:Charles Ancliffe was born in Kildare, Ireland, the son of an army bandmaster....
.
The town is home to a significant jazz festival each September and in the summer boasts 'Beached Festival
Beached Festival
The Beached Festival was a free festival held annually in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. After 6 years it had grown to become the biggest free festival in the South Bay of Scarborough. It last took place in 2008.-History:...
' – an eclectic rock and pop festival which takes place on the South Bay beach and features at least 50% local talent alongside internationally-known artists. In summer 2005, Scarborough played host to the Sonic Arts Network
Sonic Arts Network
Sonic Arts Network was a UK-based organisation, established in 1979, that aimed to enable both audiences and practitioners to engage with the art of sound through a programme of festivals, events, commissions and education projects...
Expo featuring cutting-edge performances and installations.
'Acoustic Gathering', a free one-day music festival, has been held annually in Peasholm Park since September 2005. This features over 20 bands and singer/songwriters from all parts of the UK including a number of local groups and musicians, all performing from the bandstand in the centre of the lake.
Singer-songwriter Ashley Hicklin
Ashley Hicklin
Ashley Hicklin is an English singer, songwriter, classical composer and producer. He is best known as an acoustic pop singer-songwriter with a distinctive voice...
grew up in Scarborough and recorded a music video for the song "All The Time In The World" at Scarborough's Spa Complex and in the amusement arcades. The indie band One Night Only
One Night Only (band)
One Night Only is a British Indie rock band from Helmsley, North Yorkshire formed in 2003.-History:One Night Only formed in summer 2003, consisting initially of Mark Hayton, Daniel “Pob” Parkin, Sam “Gunner” Ford and Kai "Kai" Smith. The band did not have a vocalist until George Craig, a friend of...
also recorded a video in Scarborough for their song "Just for Tonight". It features Scarborough's South Bay and the amusement arcades.
The town and was the main influence behind Alternative Rock band Everyone An Army's second EP "A Coastal Dance On The Grave Of Romance" who were born and raised there.
Nightlife
There is an expanding bar scene on St Thomas Street, with Barbican, Blue Lounge and Quids Inn, with nightclubs such as Boleyns and Vivaz in the town centre. There has been significant change in the last few years with many of the older bars undergoing refurbishment. Also on St Thomas Street is the new Opera House CasinoOpera House Casino, Scarborough
The Opera House Casino, is a casino located in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England and opened in October 2005.The casino was a £7 million development funded by the Shaw family, headed by Nikolas Shaw and was the biggest entertainment investment in Scarborough for over thirty years.The...
which was the biggest entertainment investment in Scarborough for over thirty years at time of construction.
Over recent years Scarborough has seen a demise in its nightlife with the closure of nightclubs Mansion (formerly Club XS), Boogie Nights (formerly Planet 2000 & Laughtons) and finally Studio 1.
There are a wide variety of restaurants such as Italian, Indian, Mexican
Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine, a style of food that originates in Mexico, is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients, most of which are native to the country. The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through thousands of years of blending indigenous cultures, with later...
, Chinese Thai food and classic Fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
venues, again centred around St Thomas Street. Scarborough is famous for its strong independent chains as well as larger chains like Ask
Ask (restaurant)
ASK, also known as ASK ITALIAN is a British casual dining restaurant chain that serves Italian cuisine. It operates in 120 locations in the UK. It is operated as part of the Gondola Group....
on the seafront. there is also the black swan on queen street.
Seafest
Seafest is an annual festival which takes place at West Pier and around the harbour area in July. It celebrates the regions connection to fishing and hosts the region's biggest gathering of folk singers, shantymen and musicians. So far the programme has included the cream of the folk song , maritime and shanty world in the United Kingdom. It has also drawn artists from other nations including Senegal, Sicily, Canada, Éire, Luxembourg, Germany, Holland, Brittany and the USA.The festival is based around Scarboroughs West Pier and North Wharf where you will find a maritime themed exhibition, The Cropton Brewery Real Ale Bar and Children's Entertainment and our festival main stage. In addition there is the well known ‘Sea Fish Cookery’ marquee where visiting chefs demonstrate the art of sea - food preparation.
Digital Scarborough
In recent years, arts, business and education have collaborated annually to produce Digital Scarborough – a celebration of the town's digital activities including a wide range of events from business networking to film showings and gigs with DJsDisc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and VJs
VJ (video performance artist)
VJing is a broad designation for realtime visual performance. Characteristics of VJing are the creation or manipulation of imagery in realtime through technological mediation and for an audience, in synchronization to music. VJing often takes place at events such as concerts, nightclubs, music...
.
Further arts
Scarborough has a considerable graffiti culture, with as many as 20 'writers' currently active. There are two areas where graffiti art is legal in Scarborough, Sainsbury's basketball courts, and Falsgrave Park wall. Both have seen many collaborations and murals.The films Little Voice
Little Voice (film)
Little Voice is a 1998 British drama film with music written and directed by Mark Herman. The screenplay is based on the play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice by Jim Cartwright.- Plot :...
, Possession, and A Chorus of Disapproval
A Chorus of Disapproval
A Chorus of Disapproval is a 1988 British film adapted from the Alan Ayckbourn play of the same title, directed by Michael Winner. Among the movie's cast are Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Irons, Richard Briers, and Alexandra Pigg....
were filmed on location in Scarborough and the surrounding area. Other films that have filmed scenes in Scarborough include Miranda
Miranda (2002 film)
Miranda is a 2002 British comedy film starring Christina Ricci, Kyle MacLachlan, John Simm, John Hurt, Tamsin Greig and Julian Rhind-Tutt. Classified as a Romance/Thriller according to IMDb.-Plot:...
, Dancing Queen
Dancing Queen (film)
Dancing Queen is a 1993 British romantic comedy film starring Rik Mayall and Helena Bonham Carter. It follows the misfortune of Neil , a bridegroom trying to get back to his bride with the help of his new found friend Pandora the stripper...
, Beltenbros, The Brides in the Bath
The Brides in the Bath
The Brides in the Bath is a 2003 Yorkshire Television film based on the life and Old Bailey trial of British serial killer and bigamist George Joseph Smith, the "Brides in the Bath Murderer". Martin Kemp plays the role of Smith, and Richard Griffiths plays barrister Sir Edward Marshall-Hall...
and The Damned United
The Damned United
The Damned United is a 2009 British sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling novel The Damned Utd, a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of Brian Clough's tenure as manager of Leeds United...
. Television drama series filmed in the Scarborough area include Heartbeat its spin-off series The Royal
The Royal
The Royal is a British medical drama series produced by ITV. The show comprises one hour episodes which were normally first aired on ITV in the Sunday early evening slot....
and Five Days 2, the sequel to Five Days
Five Days
Five Days is a British dramatic television series produced by the BBC in association with Home Box Office . The first series was first broadcast on BBC One from 23 January to 1 February 2007, and repeated on BBC Four from 9 April to 13 April 2007....
, was partly filmed in the town.
Innovative events are continually added to the Scarborough calendar, including in February 2009, when 'Coastival' a musical arts extravaganza was launched.
Town twinning
Scarborough is twinned with:- Osterode am HarzOsterode am HarzFor the town in East Prussia formerly called Osterode, see Ostróda.Osterode am Harz often simply called Osterode, is a town in south-eastern Niedersachsen on the south-western edge of the Harz mountains. It is the seat of government of the district of Osterode. The town is twinned with Scarborough,...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- CahirCahirCahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Education
University of Hull Scarborough Campus
The University of Hull Scarborough Campus is a higher education institution in the North Yorkshire town of Scarborough in England, as well as a satellite campus of the University of Hull.-History:...
, (formerly North Riding College and University College Scarborough) and is home to Yorkshire Coast College
Yorkshire Coast College
Yorkshire Coast College is a further education college located over three sites in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, and was formerly known as Scarborough Technical College...
and Scarborough Sixth Form College
Scarborough Sixth Form College
Scarborough Sixth Form College is located on the outskirts of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England.-Background:The Sixth Form college offers a variety of study courses to around 1,000 mostly 16–19 year olds. Courses range from level 2 to level 3...
. The five main state secondary schools in Scarborough are Graham School
Graham School
Graham School is a comprehensive school in the west of Scarborough in North Yorkshire for ages 11-16.-Admissions:It is situated to the west of the town on twenty two acre grounds, next to the hospital and Yorkshire Coast College near Throxenby....
, George Pindar Community Sports College (formerly Pindar School
Pindar School
Pindar School is a co-educational secondary school in Eastfield, Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. It is now named George Pindar Community Sports College ....
), Raincliffe School
Raincliffe School
Raincliffe School is a 'business and enterprise college' and comprehensive secondary school in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England.In September 2009, the school entered into a 'federation' with nearby Graham School....
, Scalby School
Scalby School
Scalby School is a comprehensive school in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It caters for boys and girls, aged 11–16, with around 980 on roll...
and St Augustine's Roman Catholic School, the last being rated as outstanding in a recent Ofsted report. Graham and Raincliffe have recently become a federation with the Raincliffe site now called lower school, and Graham, the higher school.
Private education
Scarborough is also home to two private schools, Scarborough CollegeScarborough College
Scarborough College is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3-18 years. It is located in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England and was founded in 1898. The school has been an International Baccalaureate World School since June 2006...
(for ages 3 to 18 years) and Bramcote (ages 4 to 13 years). Bramcote faced closure in 2009 despite releasing equity by mortgaging the four acre site. Scarborough College abolished A-levels and has been an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School since June 2006.
Scarborough International School of English, established in 1968 is accredited by the British Council and members of English UK and English UK North. The school offers English Language courses to students from around the world.
There is also a private international language school called Anglolang, established in 1985, which teaches the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
to overseas students, companies, educational institutions, organised groups and individuals.
Digital innovation
Sport
The Scarborough Amateur RowingWatercraft rowing
Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.This article...
Club was founded in May 1869, and is the oldest surviving rowing club on the north-east
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
coast. For more than 100 years, sea rowing has taken place on the Yorkshire coast between the Tees and the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
. Beginning with friendly rivalry between the fishermen and the jet miners from Blyth
Blyth, Northumberland
Blyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 21 kilometres northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne...
(the German Ocean Race), the sport has progressed to what it is today. More recent successes for the club include Bob Hewitt, who now competes as a lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
rower for the national team. In 2006 the club finally won the acclaimed Wilson Cup, until then held by rival clubs in neighbouring town Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
for over eighty years. Rowing takes place throughout the summer months.
The Blue Riband
Blue Riband
The Blue Riband is an unofficial accolade given to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in regular service with the record highest speed. The term was borrowed from horse racing and was not widely used until after 1910. Under the unwritten rules, the record is based on average speed...
event for Scarborough Yacht Club, is the annual 210 nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
race, from the town, to IJmuiden in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Scarborough is home to the Oliver's Mount
Oliver's Mount
Oliver's Mount is an area of high ground overlooking Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It offers impressive views of the town, a tribute monument to the war dead, camping and caravanning at selected times of the year and a cafe but may be primarily known for its motorcycle races...
racing circuit. This track is composed of twisty public roads and has played host to domestic motorcycling and rallying events for many years. Noted motorcycle racers who have raced at Oliver's Mount include Barry Sheene
Barry Sheene
Barry Stephen Frank Sheene MBE was a British World Champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.-Early life:...
and Ron Haslam
Ron Haslam
Ronald Haslam is a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who has been racing for over thirty years, winning three World titles, four British championships and having ridden in almost 110 GPs....
.
Scarborough Cricket Club won the ECB National Club Cricket Championship
ECB National Club Cricket Championship
The ECB National Club Cricket Championship is a knockout club cricket competition in England. The most successful clubs have been Scarborough Cricket Club from Yorkshire, with five titles and Old Hill Cricket Club from the Metropolitan county of West Midlands , with four.-Winners:ECB National Club...
at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
on five occasions between 1972 and 1982, a record number of victories. The club also hosts the annual Scarborough Cricket Festival
Scarborough Festival
The Scarborough Festival is an end of season series of cricket matches featuring Yorkshire County Cricket Club which has been held in Scarborough, on the east coast of Yorkshire, since 1876. The ground, at North Marine Road, sees large crowds of holiday makers watching a mixture of first class...
, and Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
uses North Marine Road
North Marine Road
North Marine Road Ground, formerly known as Queen's, is a cricket ground in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Scarborough Cricket Club which hosts the Scarborough Cricket Festival and the Yorkshire County Cricket Club plays a series of fixtures in the second half of the...
, for a selection of home fixtures throughout the season. The club competes in the Yorkshire ECB County Premier League
Yorkshire ECB County Premier League
The Yorkshire ECB County Premier League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in Yorkshire, England, and since 1999 has been a designated ECB Premier League.-Winners:-External links:* - official site* - Play-Cricket site...
, in which as the Yorkshire League, the club enjoyed great success.
The former Scarborough Football Club
Scarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
enjoyed a career in the Football League during the 1990s before being relegated to the Conference North in 2006 and to the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
the following year. One of its greatest achievements was winning the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium on three occasions. They also held the distinction of being the first club to win automatic promotion to the Football League, when in 1987 they were promoted as champions of the GM Vauxhall Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
. In 2007 a new club, Scarborough Athletic
Scarborough Athletic F.C.
Scarborough Athletic Football Club are an English football club formed on 25 June 2007 following the winding up of Scarborough. Although they bear the name of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, they ground-share with Bridlington Town...
, was formed and is currently playing its home matches in neighbouring Bridlington
Bridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
.
In 2007, the town hosted the World Thundercat Championships (for inflatable powerboats), and similar events in 2008. Scarborough Rugby Union Football Club moved to a new £4-million ground development on the outskirts of the town in January 2009, which will also be home to Scarborough Athletic Club, and the nationally achieving Scarborough Gymnastics Academy has a highly developed, specialist facility. Future redevelopment is proposed for Scarborough Sports Centre (a past venue for international tennis tournaments). Scarborough Indoor Bowls Centre is utilized for a variety of events, throughout the year.
The town has two principal golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
courses, North Cliff and South Cliff, plus some smaller ventures. Ganton Golf Club
Ganton Golf Club
Ganton Golf Club is an 18-hole golf course in Ganton, North Yorkshire, England.Founded in 1891, the course was initially designed by Tom Chisholm and Robert Bird, but modifications to the course have been made since by a number of people including James Braid, Alister MacKenzie, Harry Colt, John...
, which has hosted tournaments such as the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
and Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
, is situated approximately 8 miles to the west of Scarborough.
Pindar School
Pindar School
Pindar School is a co-educational secondary school in Eastfield, Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. It is now named George Pindar Community Sports College ....
, which is based at Eastfield
Eastfield, North Yorkshire
Eastfield is a village and civil parish in the Scarboroughdistrict of North Yorkshire, England.According to the 2001 UK census, Eastfield parish had a population of 5,863.The parish council is Eastfield Parish Council.-External links:*...
, is a Sports Community College, and thus is home to Scarborough Pirates ARLFC
Scarborough Pirates ARLFC
Scarborough Pirates ARLFC is the name of an amateur rugby league team which competes in the Rugby League Conference Yorkshire Premier and British Amateur Rugby League Association winter leagues...
, Scarborough Seahawks Basketball and Scarborough Hockey Club, the centre also boasts a state-of-the-art tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
facility. Scarborough Table Tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
Centre is located at Graham School.
A national martial arts organisation, The Empire Martial Arts Association, is based in Scarborough.
Notable people
- For a full list, see :Category:People from Scarborough, North Yorkshire
These people were all born in Scarborough:
- Ben KingsleyBen KingsleySir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
, AcademyAcademy Award for Best ActorPerformance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
award-winning actor for the film GandhiGandhi (film)Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both...
(1982), was born in Scarborough - Joy BrookJoy BrookJoy Brook is an English actress who played DC Kerry Holmes in The Bill and Joanne Pearson in Peak Practice...
, played WDC Kerry Holmes in The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work... - Colin ChallenColin ChallenColin Robert Challen is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Morley and Rothwell from 2001 until the constituency's abolition at the 2010 election.-Early life:...
, MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Morley and Rothwell, born in Scarborough - Bob Clarke (historian)Bob Clarke (historian)Bob Clarke, born in Scarborough in 1964 is an English archaeologist and historian.-Aviation career:Upon leaving school Clarke joined the Royal Air Force in 1981 at the height of the Cold War. He served at RAF Leeming, Lyneham, Ascension Island and St Athan during a nine year term. During that time...
, Archaeologist, Historian & Author - Fred FeastFred FeastFrederick Feast was a British television actor, best remembered for playing the role of Fred Gee in Coronation Street.-Early life:...
, actor, formerly of Coronation Street (Fred Gee) - Eric FenbyEric FenbyEric William Fenby OBE was an English composer and teacher who is best known for being Frederick Delius's amanuensis from 1928 to 1934. He helped Delius realise a number of works that would not otherwise have been forthcoming....
, composer and amanuensis of Frederick DeliusFrederick DeliusFrederick Theodore Albert Delius, CH was an English composer. Born in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family of German extraction, he resisted attempts to recruit him to commerce... - Joanne FroggattJoanne Froggatt- Early life, education and early career :Born and raised in the village of Littlebeck, Froggatt left her family home at the age of 13 to attend the Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead, Berkshire. In 1996, she made her TV début in the long-running ITV drama, The Bill, and shortly afterwards...
, actress - Jonathan GreeningJonathan GreeningJonathan Greening is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Nottingham Forest.He began his career in 1996 with York City, but moved to Manchester United in 1998, with whom he won the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League as a non-playing substitute in the final...
, footballer, Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... - Edward James Harland, shipbuilder, co-founder of Harland and WolffHarland and WolffHarland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
- Susan HillSusan HillSusan Hill is an English author of fiction and non-fiction works. Her novels include The Woman in Black, The Mist in the Mirror and I'm the King of the Castle for which she received the Somerset Maugham Award in 1971....
, author - Andy HornbyAndy HornbyAndy Hornby is an English businessman, notable for having been the Group Chief Executive of HBOS at the time of its government-facilitated rescue by Lloyds TSB...
, former CEOChief executive officerA chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of HBOSHBOSHBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009... - Robert HorwellRobert HorwellRobert 'Bob' Horwell is a British actor who was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. His father, whom he was named after, was a coal merchant and Audrey, his mother, was also a successful small businesswoman. His sisters Angela and Sue run a small designer clothing outlet in his hometown...
, actor, Nick Neeson in Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960... - Paul InglePaul InglePaul Andrew Ingle is a retired featherweight boxer. As an amateur he competed for Great Britain at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. As a professional he won the IBF, European, British, & Commonwealth featherweight titles.-Amateur career:As an amateur, Ingle was a member of the 1992...
, former IBF featherweight boxing champion - Ben James-EllisBen James-EllisBenjamin James Ellis is an English stage actor who starred in the role of Link Larkin in the West End production of the musical Hairspray from its opening in October 2007 until July 2009...
, contestant on BBC's Any Dream Will DoAny Dream Will Do (TV series)Any Dream Will Do, often known as 'Joseph', was a 2007 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. It searched for a new, unknown lead to play Joseph in a West End revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.The show...
and Link Larkin in the West End production of HairsprayHairspray (musical)Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues... - Charles LaughtonCharles LaughtonCharles Laughton was an English-American stage and film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.-Early life and career:...
, actor and director - Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron LeightonFrederic Leighton, 1st Baron LeightonFrederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton PRA , known as Sir Frederic Leighton, Bt, between 1886 and 1896, was an English painter and sculptor. His works depicted historical, biblical and classical subject matter...
, painter and sculptor - Bill NicholsonBill Nicholson (footballer)William Edward "Bill" Nicholson OBE was an English football player, coach, manager and scout who devoted his life to Tottenham Hotspur in North London.-Early life:...
, manager of Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, who completed Football League First Division and FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
double, 1960–61 - Mary NightingaleMary NightingaleMary Nightingale is an English newsreader and television presenter. She is a newsreader for ITN on ITV News, and presents the cookery series Britain's Best Dish on ITV1.-Education:...
, presenter of ITV NewsITV NewsITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British television network ITV. Since 1955, ITV's news bulletins have been produced by Independent Television News . The channel's news coverage has won awards from the Royal Television Society, Emmy Awards and BAFTAs. Between 2004 and 2008, the... - Joel RossJoel RossJoel Ross is a British radio DJ. Along with Jason King he presented the coveted UK Top 40 show on BBC Radio 1 each Sunday from March 2005 to October 2007...
, one half of Virgin RadioVirgin RadioAbsolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
duo JK and JoelJK and JoelJason King and Joel Ross , known professionally as JK and Joel, are a radio show presenters and are best known for hosting the official UK chart on BBC Radio 1 between 2004 and 2007 and then presented on Virgin Radio UK, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at weekends and covering the breakfast and... - Selina ScottSelina ScottSelina Scott is a British newsreader, journalist, television producer and presenter.- Background and early life :Scott was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire in 1951, the eldest of five children...
, television presenter and interviewer - The Sitwell familyThe SitwellsThe Sitwells , from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, were three siblings, who formed an identifiable literary and artistic clique around themselves in London in the period roughly 1916 to 1930...
, literary circle - Robert Palmer, Rock singer, former pupil of Scarborough Boys High School and singer with 60s local band The Mandrakes.
- Graham TaylorGraham Taylor (author)Graham Peter Taylor , pen-name G. P. Taylor, is the author of the best-selling novels Shadowmancer, Wormwood and Tersias. Before taking up writing full-time, he was an Anglican vicar in the village of Cloughton, North Yorkshire.His works reflect his faith, carrying Christian messages like The...
, writer of the ShadowmancerShadowmancerShadowmancer is a fantasy novel by Graham Taylor , first published privately in 2002. It is a Christian allegory in the form of a fantasy adventure, akin to C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. Taylor wrote the book to counteract what he saw as a rise in atheist propaganda in children's books...
series - Peter TaylorPeter Taylor (Journalist)Peter Taylor born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire is a British journalist and documentary-maker who had covered for many years the political and armed conflict in Northern Ireland, widely known as the Troubles...
, former presenter of PanoramaPanorama (TV series)Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby... - Paul TonkinsonPaul TonkinsonPaul Tonkinson is an English radio presenter and television personality. He is perhaps best known for his work presenting on The Big Breakfast and The Sunday Show and his appearances on list programmes where he comments on popular culture...
, comedian - Penelope WiltonPenelope WiltonPenelope Alice Wilton, OBE is an English actress.-Life and career:Penelope Alice Wilton was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, to a former actress mother and a businessman father. She is a niece of actors Bill Travers and Linden Travers and a cousin of the actor Richard Morant...
, actress, ClockwiseClockwise (film)Clockwise is a 1986 British comedy film starring John Cleese. It was directed by Christopher Morahan, written by Michael Frayn and produced by Michael Codron. The film was co-produced by Moment Films and Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment...
See also
- Scarborough Evening NewsScarborough Evening NewsThe Scarborough Evening News, is a local, paid-for daily newspaper distributed in and around the Scarborough, North Yorkshire, area. The newspaper gives a local slant on the day's news....
- Soundwave FestivalSoundwave FestivalSoundwave Festival, held every year at the Scarborough Spa Ocean Room, Scarborough, UK, is a music and arts festival created by the DIY Collective, a group of young people from around the Scarborough area. It was first held in 1999 on South Bay Beach, Scarborough and was moved to the Spa Complex...
- Scarborough CastleScarborough CastleScarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England...
- Scarborough Fair CollectionScarborough Fair CollectionThe Scarborough Fair Collection is a museum of fairground mechanical organs and showman's engines, located in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, one of the largest collections of its type in Europe....
- Beached FestivalBeached FestivalThe Beached Festival was a free festival held annually in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. After 6 years it had grown to become the biggest free festival in the South Bay of Scarborough. It last took place in 2008.-History:...
- Scarborough North Bay Railway
- Raincliffe WoodsRaincliffe WoodsRaincliffe Woods are situated to the north west of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. They form an "L" shape with Forge Valley Woods and the River Derwent.-Geography:...
- Opera House CasinoOpera House Casino, ScarboroughThe Opera House Casino, is a casino located in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England and opened in October 2005.The casino was a £7 million development funded by the Shaw family, headed by Nikolas Shaw and was the biggest entertainment investment in Scarborough for over thirty years.The...
- Scarborough CollegeScarborough CollegeScarborough College is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3-18 years. It is located in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England and was founded in 1898. The school has been an International Baccalaureate World School since June 2006...
- Radio 270Radio 270Radio 270 was a pirate radio station serving Yorkshire and the North East of England from 1966 to 1967. It broadcast from a converted Dutch lugger called Oceaan 7 positioned in international waters off Scarborough, North Yorkshire.-Origins :...
- St James with Holy Trinity Church, ScarboroughSt James with Holy Trinity Church, ScarboroughSt James with Holy Trinity Church, Scarborough, is located in Seamer Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Scarborough, the archdeaconry of East Riding, and the diocese of York...