Scarborough Shelter with Sea View Listed at Grade II
A public seating shelter in Scarborough has been listed at Grade II by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England.
Situated on the seafront, the large shelter is made up of a series of decorative ironwork arcades and has a terrace on its roof overlooking South Bay Beach.
Constructed sometime between 1904 and 1907, it evokes the golden age of the British seaside when holidaymakers would flock to the North Yorkshire town to relax on the beach.
The shelter is one of many public amenities built in the first few decades of the 20th century under the direction of the Borough Engineer Harry W Smith. Between 1897 and 1933 he was responsible for many schemes designed to improve visitor facilities including the construction of an outdoor bathing pool, the creation of public gardens and the provision of public toilets.
This shelter is a living piece of social history that helps tell the story of Scarborough from its heyday as a seaside resort to the present day. For the past century people have used the public space to shelter from the elements, eat melting ice creams, drink flasks of hot tea, rest their tired legs or to simply contemplate the view. Listing the structure will help ensure that it continues to be enjoyed for generations to come.
The shelter in Scarborough joins a number of other listed seaside town shelters including ones in Lytham St Annes, Skegness and Brighton.
