This shot was taken towards the southern end of the built-up area in Scarborough, and shows two curved projections of land into the sea, with two very different origins.
The nearest curve is the site of the old South Bay open air swimming pool. The pool was one of many masterpieces designed by Scarborough’s former Borough Engineer, Harry W. Smith. He apparently thought of the idea after a visit to Guernsey, which already had an open air tidal pool for bathers. The pool he proposed would be the first of its kind in Britain, and would include diving boards, water chute, different depths, changing rooms and showers etc. This would exceed existing seaside provision for bathers, which was rather meagre. Construction began shortly before the outbreak of WWI, and was taking place in December 1914, when Scarborough was bombarded by German ships. Workers were able to shelter, coincidentally, behind the new wall they had recently constructed for the pool.
Built in the Art Deco style, it measured 330ft (100 metres) long and 167ft (51 metres) wide, and was filled naturally by fresh sea water, propelled into the pool by the tide each day. Officially opened in 1915, the pool later hosted national competitions, such as the Amateur Swimming Association championships, and provided a training ground for more serious swimmers, some of whom would go on to swim the Channel.
Sadly, many open air pools closed after WWII, although this one lasted longer than many others. It was closed down in 1989 and was used to build a big illuminated star map, which glows at night.
The second larger curve, fringed by rock armour, was created under very different circumstances. June 1993 saw a massive landslide of the cliffs which carried the Holbeck Hall Hotel down the cliffs. Fortunately it had been evacuated due to early signs of earth movement. A rotational landslide involving about 1 million tonnes of glacial till cut back the 200 foot (60 metre) high cliff by 230 feet (70 metres). It flowed across the beach to form a semicircular promontory 660 feet (200 metres) wide projecting 440 feet (135 metres) outward from the foot of the cliff. The hotel was some 165 feet (50 metres) from the cliff edge when the landslide began, but it was totally destroyed.
Following the landslide there was concern that the material that had flowed across the beach would be eroded by the sea and further landslides could occur, so prompt action was taken to stabalise the area by fringing the material on the beach with rock armour, and later landscaping the area. I remember watching the arrival of the rock armour which was imported from Norway. Around high tide a ship would sail as close to the shore as it could, and dump large rocks on the beach, after which the ship would leave. When the tide was low enough, machines would move the rock into position around the landslip.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
I hope that you have enjoyed this brief tour of Scarborough. There is so much to see and so many attractive views that I feel I have only just started the tour - but it is time to move on.
Excellent pov
fav
Am enjoying visiting your Scarborough - a beautiful beach town
Thank you
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
I hope that you have enjoyed this brief tour of Scarborough. There is so much to see and so many attractive views that I feel I have only just started the tour - but it is time to move on.
Ian
Thank you Bri, it was interesting to discover the history of these areas of land.
Ian