This is the UK’s oldest seaside town that even the Vikings adored 1,100 years ago
- UK Hidden Gems
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Perched on the wild North Yorkshire coast sits a town that has been welcoming visitors for more than a thousand years.
With its dramatic clifftops, ancient castle and wide sandy beaches, this place is the oldest seaside resort in Britain.
Vikings settled here, medieval traders flocked to its markets and later the Victorians helped turn it into the classic seaside getaway we recognise today.
Scarborough’s story begins in 966 AD, when a Viking raider named Thorgills Skarthi founded a settlement he called Skarðaborg.
Evidence shows people lived on the headland long before that, nearly 2,500 years ago, but it was the Norse who laid the foundations of the modern town, according to Visit Scarborough.
High above both North and South Bays stands Scarborough Castle, built later by Henry II as a powerful coastal fortress.
In medieval times, the town became famous across Europe thanks to its huge annual fair. First granted a royal charter in 1253, Scarborough Fair ran for six weeks each year from August 15 to September 29, drawing merchants from far and wide.
The coastline holds an even older tale. Known as the Dinosaur Coast, the cliffs around Scarborough have revealed brilliant Jurassic fossils.
The Rotunda Museum, which opened in 1829 and is one of the world’s earliest purpose-built museums, displays many of these discoveries along with “Gristhorpe Man”, a Bronze Age skeleton found in a tree-trunk coffin.
Scarborough began its journey as Britain’s first seaside resort in 1626 after Elizabeth Farrow uncovered a stream of acidic spring water running into the South Bay.
People soon believed these waters had healing powers, and by the 1660s the Spa was attracting crowds hoping to improve their health.
When the Grand Hotel opened in 1867, it was the biggest hotel in Europe. Its design symbolised the passing of time, with four towers for the seasons, 12 floors for the months, 52 chimneys for the weeks and, originally, 365 bedrooms for each day of the year.
Over the years, many famous names have stayed in Scarborough, including Winston Churchill and The Beatles. Novelist Anne Brontë also spent her final days here in 1849 and is buried at St Mary’s Church, beneath the castle overlooking the sea.
Remember - LeaveNoTrace!
As with anywhere outdoors, kindly keep these areas pristine and wild by taking all trash with you. The amount of complaints we have seen since the pandemic is crazy. It's really not that hard to take your rubbish with you!
Litter tends to spread, so if you see any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the hidden gem, it will help keep the area tidy.
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