Scarborough is the oldest beach resort in the UK, and first attracted visitors in the early seventeenth century following the discovery of the mineral springs. However, the town saw its biggest transformation after the Second World War, when it became a prime holiday destination for industrial workers in the north.

Today, all of the traditional beach resort ingredients are still in place, from the superb sandy beach and classic amusement arcades, to the more refined pleasures of the pretty old town streets and number of quiet gardens and parks.

Make sure you look out for the Church of St Mary (1180) during your visit, situated below the castle on Castle Road, in the graveyard of which you can find the tomb of Anne Bronte, who died in Scarborough in 1849.

Reportedly founded in 966AD, by a Viking raider, the town was granted charters in 1155 and 1163, permitting a market on the sands, and establishing a rule by burgesses. In the Middle Ages, Scarborough Fair, permitted in a royal charter of 1253, held a six-week trading festival which attracted vendors from all over Europe. The fair continued to be held for 500 years from the 13^th century to the 18^th century, and is commemorated in the famous song Scarborough Fair.

During the First World War, Garman warships bombarded the town, which shocked the British. Other maritime events include the capture of a 560lb Atlantic bluefin tuna (‘tunny’). The crew who caught it were awarded 50 shillings by a local showman so he could exhibit as a tourist attraction. This sparked a craze of tunny fishing in the area, and led to the founding of a gentleman’s club, the British Tunny Club in 1933. This contributed to the town becoming a resort for high society.