SCARBOROUGH 4

 

 

The North Side and the Town Centre

 

Good views are to be had from the castle over the north bay and the coast to the north which sweeps up to the North York Moors. This foreshore is more sedate and lacks the amusements of the south side. There is a Sea Life Centre at the end of the promenade at Scalby Mills and the bay is popular with wind surfers and the like. Some further development of this area is projected

but progress is slow.

 

 

 

The castle ruins are quite prominent from this side.

 

The huge sculpture of Freddy Gilroy has been a prominent feature of the

north side promenade since 2011.
 

discoveryorkshire.com tells us :
 

'Freddie Gilroy and the Belsen Stragglers' is a giant steel structure made by Ray Lonsdale, an artist, fabricator and sculptor and is now on permanent display, thanks to the generosity of a local Scarborough resident.
The sculpture is based on a retired miner Ray became friends with who turned out to also be one of the first soldiers to relieve the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the end of World War II.
This piece of art is not just about Freddie Gilroy but represents all the normal people that were pulled out of an ordinary life and forced into a very extraordinary and dangerous one during the World Wars.
Ray Lonsdale, sculptor from County Durham said:
"Scarborough is a unique town and I am pleased that my 'Freddie Gilroy and the Belsen Stragglers' will be on show there for residents and visitors alike to look at and enjoy. This piece is almost a war memorial as it depicts the lives of all those who suffered during the World Wars".
"I hope that people get enjoyment from my sculptures but also reflect on the sensitivity and emotion which I have tried to convey through my work."

The sculpture is located near to the Oasis Cafe on Scarborough's North Bay.

The old Corner Café has now been replaced by a new development of shops, cafes and apartments as part of the regeneration of the north side.

 

 

 

 

The Sea Life centre can be seen at the end of the promenade at Scalby Mills.

 

There is a fine sandy beach which is safe for sea-bathing and is popular

with surfer's and water skier's.

One of the most popular attractions of the North Side is Peasholm Park with its central island walk. Rowing boats grace the lake and regular concerts are held on the floating bandstand.

 

Scarborough Corporation bought the land in 1911 from the Duchy of Lancaster.
When the lake was dug out, the remains of the medieval manor house was uncovered. The manor belonged to Richard 111 and the Crown still holds manorial rights to the estate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peasholm Park

 

 

 

 

 

A great attraction of this park for some 80 years has been the life like 
tri-weekly mock naval battles with model boats

The copyright on this image is owned by John Firth and is licensed for reuse under the

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.

 

 

I am grateful for the use of thisWikipedia photograph.

The nearby Northstead Manor Gardens also has a lake on which the stage for the Open Air Theatre is situated. This venue was first opened in 1932 in its natural amphitheatre setting and was the largest such theatre in Europe with some 9000 seating capacity.. It was extremely popular as a venue for many of the musical's performed by local amateurs and many professional productions. As always, the vagaries of the English weather saw its decline but even in 1986 when The James Last Orchestra became the last production, all the seats were filled to overflowing. Despite popular local objections the theatre closed and was to lie dormant for more than 20 years. The theatre has now been fully restored at a cost of some £3.5 million and with a seating capacity of 7000 it was re-opened by The Queen in 2010

 

 

 

 

It is also the starting point for a very fine miniature steam railway which runs to Scalby Mills.

 

 

 

 

 

The boating lake and the water chute  add to the attractions

 

 

 

and you can enjoy a drink in Scarborough's smallest pub, The Boatman's Tavern, which is situated in the old railway ticket office nearby.

 

 

 

 

Another big attraction is the cricket ground situated in North Marine Road where Yorkshire can be seen in action. Scarborough Cricket Festival in September draws huge crowds and has featured all the famous cricketer's over the years.

 

 

 

 

 

The Scarborough warning

 

Who hasn't heard of the Scarborough Warning ?  This town was gaining quite a reputation for its firm implementation of the law back in the thirteenth century, when the town’s judicial privileges and immunities were confirmed and enlarged by Henry 111’s charters.  Scarborough’s justices were given broader rights and soon gained notoriety for dealing with offenders, giving rise to the saying, ‘Scarborough warning',meaning a blow delivered without warning.   The result was that offenders soon found themselves severely punished and the town gallows were in constant use.  The borough’s own magistrates had been given wide-ranging powers to deal with offenders, amongst which were infangthief meaning jurisdiction over thieves caught in the act;  gallows, the power to pass and carry out the death sentence; pillory, the right to punish offenders by exposing them to public ridicule; and tumbril, the right to have offenders whipped through the streets, and used them well.
At that time the castle was used as a prison.

In the early 17th century Newborough Bar at the junction of Newborough and Westborough was used as a prison and lock-up. It was closed in 1840 and in 1843 a prison was built in Castle Road and that closed in 1866 when a larger prison was built in Dean Road.

 

This edifice still exists but since c1900 the site has been used as a council depot although the actual prison is still relatively intact.
When the prison opened in 1866 22 male and 12 female prisoners were transferred to be accommodated in 36 cells on three floors. The prison closed in 1878 and since that time various proposals have been made regarding its future but non have gained fruition. It has been used as a film set and from time to time there is an open day when members of the public can visit.

Another relic of law and order is this police box alongside the harbour



The main gateway into the medieval town was Newborough Bar situated where Newborough ends and Westborough begins. The original gate was demolished in 1843 and was replaced by a pseudo-Gothic bar which in turn was demolished in 1890 when the town was expanding.

Bar Street leads to St Nicholas Cliff

as does Huntriss Row which is now at the heart of the town centre.

The post office, Evening News office and the former cinema are in
Aberdeen Walk

Opposite the station at the top end of Westborough is this fine Art Deco Grade 11 listed building, the Odeon Cinema which was built in 1936. The opening ceremony was attended by Scarborough born film star Charles Laughton As large cinemas declined the Odeon became a casualty and closed in 1988. After lying derelict for a number of years, the building was restored and became the Stephen Joseph Theatre and is a continuing success story with playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn, who lives in Scarborough's old town, as its Artistic Director.

 

 

 

The railway came to Scarborough in 1845 and the holiday makers came on day trips and soon for longer stays.

The platforms were extended to cater for the holiday masses and this fine bench at Scarborough station, 456 feet long, is said to be the longest railway bench in the country.

 

At the heart of the town centre is the modern Brunswick centre in Westborough.

The second of the two bathing sculptures, The Bathing Belle is located in the street outside.

 

 

 

 

 

The very fine Regency crescent is situated just behind the Brunswick centre.