The
Sea-front 'Indoor Seawater Baths'
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Foreshore Road (photograph on right) was opened
in 1877. The old photograph was taken sometime before this occasion - when
the South Sands encroached right up to the Seawater Baths building (seen
on the extreme right - old photo). Once again, the imposing Grand Hotel
dominates the scene and the Spa Bridge can be seen just to the left of
it. The modern photograph was taken at around 7 a.m. - before the abundance
of holidaymakers had risen and swarmed the area. 'Nothing
else was stirring - no living creature was visible besides myself.',
declared Agnes Grey as (in Anne's novel) she took a very early morning
stroll on the South Sands. During the 1840s - when Anne visited Scarborough,
the sea-front baths (Vickerman's Baths) were situated a few hundred yards
further along the beach - amongst the trees shown in the photographs (this
side of the Grand Hotel) - the site is indicated by a white asterisk in
the old photograph (see also illustration below). The Seawater Baths building,
shown above, was built in 1868 and was home to the 'Scarborough Public
Bath Company Limited': it is currently occupied by Corrigan's amusement
arcade, and is situated directly at the bottom of Bland's Cliff.
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Vickerman's
Baths
These were the 'sea-front' Indoor Sea-water Baths
that existed at the time Anne visited Scarborough (mentioned above). This
sketch was drawn from the beach, with the sea directly behind the artist.
The buildings behind and to the right of the baths (as seen here) are the
'Marine Houses'.31
It is quite possible that Anne visited these baths while at Scarborough
with the Robinsons.32n
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Copyright
© 1999 Michael Armitage
RETURN:
Anne's Sea-view
| 26 -
June - 99 |
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