A postcard from Scarborough, the Cornwall of the North
We were the first visitors to Scarborough’s Rotunda Museum of Geology (scarboroughmuseumstrust.com) when it reopened after four months of lockdown at the weekend (August 8), and social distancing combined with the diminutive size of the venue meant we had the tiny gem to ourselves.
Each visitor or group gets a half-hour’s exclusive slot to tour the collection. We wandered rooms dappled by seaside sunshine, gazed up at seagulls strutting across the building’s iconic glass-domed roof, and soaked in the ethereal music and the sound of waves emanating from the audio-visual installations – all combining to afford a few moment of peace in a resort that was bustling.
The museum’s dino-themed play area was still cordoned off for obvious reasons, but my 12-year-old, Zac – a devoted student of all things prehistoric – was delighted to be able to see close-up some of the world’s most important geological finds, among them the teeth of animals (hyenas, hippos and elephants) discovered in nearby Kirkdale Cove, and ammonites from Robin Hood’s Bay just up the coast. Not least because it was to the latter that we were headed that afternoon, to try to find some fossils of our own.
We were lured back to one of our favourite areas of Britain on the basis that it might be less-crowded than other parts of the UK seaside at a time when staycations have never been so popular. Scarborough has long intrigued me: a former spa town that became one of Britain’s first seaside resorts – it was here rolling bathing machines were pioneered in 1735.
The town is blessed with some truly jaw-dropping architecture and in prime position on the headland that splits the town between its North and South bays, The Grand Hotel is like a fantasy of a seaside grande dame, with towers, chimneys, sculptures and wrought-iron galore. Sadly, inside there’s a very different vibe, with uninspiring rooms and bingo sessions in the former ballroom.
And this has long been the problem with Scarborough – budget chains and traditional guesthouses aside, its accommodation options have been lacklustre at best. But the opening of the new Bike & Boot Inn (bikeandboot.com) right by The Grand on Cliff Bridge Terrace has changed all that. While remaining affordable (bijou Boot Rooms start at less than £70 per night and vast family suites can be had for around £150), it offers up a decor of funky furnishings including lighting fashioned from old bicycle parts and replicas of old seaside posters.
Yet as the name suggests, the hotel is more about the great outdoors than about staying in: there’s bike hire (the best local route is the Cinder Track dipping in and out of the coastline along an old railway between Scarborough and Whitby), a special room for washing any canine companions you’ve brought along (the hotel is pet-friendly), and a basement space for washing and storing your surfboards.
Indeed, Scarborough and its surrounds are a viable and good-value alternative to Cornwall for those who want to take to the water in one guise or another but fear the crowds of the south following the easing of lockdown. We took a surf lesson on North Bay beach courtesy of Dexter’s Surf Shop (dexterssurfschool.co.uk), in the shadow of the town’s ruined castle and Anne Brontë’s grave up on the headland. Instruction was as good as I’ve experienced elsewhere but prices compare favourably (you’ll pay £145 for a family surf lesson for five, versus £160 for a group of two to four in Cornwall’s super-hip Watergate Bay). One word of warning, though: if you encounter one of the jellyfish here, its sting can be painful, so do wear a wetsuit, surf gloves and boots if you go out in the water.
But it’s not all about trendy surfing; Scarborough has its own retro charm that may err towards the rough in places but that comes as a refreshing change in a world that can seem all too homogenous at times. South Bay has a kiss-me-quick feel with its big wheel and arcades, plus vintage venues such as Alonzi’s Harbour Bar, a 1950s ‘milk bar’ serving ice cream hand-made to the same family recipe for the last 75 years. South Bay’s beach is reached via a delightful Victorian funicular tramway that slides up and down the cliffside, while at the end of North Bay younger kids revel in rides on the coastal miniature railway.
It’s also at this end of town that you’ll find quirky Peasholm Park with its Oriental pagodas, dragon-pedalo rides and pitch and putt, and Alpemare Water Park with its giant waterslides, wave pool and outdoor hot-iodine infinity swimming pool, and Scarborough SEALife Centre with its seal hospital where you can see four of the achingly cute creatures being nursed back to health in order to be released back into the wild.
All of these attractions had just reopened when we visited at the weekend, and from its hotels to its beaches, Scarborough was as busy as you’d expect a classic seaside destination to be at this time of year. Social-distancing was in place in our hotel, with automated check-in machines, hand-sanitisers in evidence throughout, and the taking of contact details for track and trace. Tables in the restaurant were spaced widely and the food (very good – the whitebait starter and the black treacle ice cream with sea salt and popcorn are highly recommended) was served to an empty table beside us so that servers didn’t have to lean over us.
Most other Scarborough restaurants and entertainment venues were only open to those with advance online reservations, and this does mean you have to think ahead – something that takes a while to get used to and detracts somewhat from the spontaneous joy and relaxing feeling of being on holiday. Needing to be in specific places at specific times means leaving extra time for everything and it can really foul up your schedule if you need to unexpectedly queue for 20 minutes to get into a local shop, as we did, just to buy a bottle of water.
But these are minor niggles at a time that demands sacrifices from us all. Described by long-time resident Alan Ayckbourn and founder of its Stephen Joseph Theatre as a "marvellous place with lovely people," Scarborough is a world of its own: a seaside charmer that often seems on the cusp of becoming hip but that probably never will. And that’s probably all for the best.
More information: Yorkshire Coast (discoveryorkshirecoast.com) or call the friendly team at the Tourism Bureau on 01723 383636.
