Figure 1.--Here we have a beach resort portrait of unidentified English children. We are also not sure about the resort. The boy wears a Norfolk suit with aatching peaked cap. We are not sure if it is his school uniform or not. The girls wear mathing cape jackets nd wife-brimmed hats. Notice how warmly they and mother are dressed for the beach. The portrait is undated. We would guess the portrait was taken in the 1890s.

What was at first called sea-bathing as a fashionable activity was invented in Britain. The bathing terminology is why swimsuits are commonly called bathing suits. It all began in the late-18th century, but just for the upper class who could afford expensive resorts and travel and had leisure time. It was a mixture of pleasure and health. Sea bathing began to be seen as an outdoor activity with health benefits. It was an outdor extension of the older European health regime of the spa. Early bathing resorts were commonly spa-like resorts. In some cases they actually were combination spa and bathing resorts. Many spas were promoted by what one author describes as an 'entrepreneurial medical men'. [Walton] The same author also describes a popular sea-bathing tradition prevlent in coastal Catholic Europe. Unlike the spas, this was more of a popular tradition, but only important along he coasts, primarily in southern Europe. The same author describes Catholic Europe as seeing the sea 'as having prophylactic powers at the August spring tides'. The beginning of the shift of popular sea bathing to more refined participants and a commercial activity occurred at Whitby and Scarborough, in North Yorkshire (about 1720). Interesting that it occured in Yorkshire with its bracing North Sea coast. This new activity was limited in extent. England still had a largly agricultural economy. Before the industrial revolution, the great bulk of the population had little or no leisure time or the wherewithall to afford seaside holidays. The wealthy did, and we begin to see seaside resorts, most along the southeast at Margate, Brighton and Weymouth. The southern climate and location near London were important factors. The stress was on luxury and pleasure at spa like pleasure resorts. The Prince Regent (future George IV) Brighton royal patronage from the future George IV created a hedonistic pleasure palace at Brighton, called the Brighton Pavillion (early-19th century). He essentially provided royal patronage to sea bathing resorts. And the seaside resort became a fastest-growing type of English town during the early-19th century. Brighton was one of the fastest growing towns in England. But these resports were limited to the well to do. Then two major developments occurred at mid-century. The Industrial Revolution began the creation of unprecedent wealth and the expansion of cities with a growing industrial proleterit and middle class, both with higher incomes than was the case of agricultural workers. And as part of the Industrial Revolution, the railroads began to spread across Britain providing an in expensive way for even workers to get to the seaside. And soon inexpensive accmodations and attractions appeared to accomodate them. Attraction-packed piers became popular. Blackpool became the world's first working-class seaside resort (late-19th century). And very quickly virtully the entire English and Welsh coastline had resorts of different sizes and appeal (ealy-20th century). There were not as many in Scotland, reflecting both distance from the major English cities and water temperature. Ther were over 100 important resorts. Expansion of these results continued through two world wars. Beaches were closed off during World War II as a German invasion was threatened. Some were even mined. As car ownership increased we have new caravan parks. appearing. This suddenly changed when cheap air fares opened up inexpensive beach resports in Spain and Portugal (1970s). With his the English resorts which could not compete with the warm climate and water and began to decline. The prosperity generated by the Thatcher era and market reforms increased the purchasing power of English families and the ability to aford sea-side holidays.

The 18th Century

What was at first called sea-bathing as a fashionable activity was invented in Britain. The bathing terminology is why swimsuits are commonly called bathing suits. It all began in the late-18th century, but just for the upper class who could afford expensive resorts and travel and had leisure time. It was a mixture of pleasure and health. Sea bathing began to be seen as an outdoor activity with health benefits. It was an outdor extension of the older European health regime of the spa. Early bathing resorts were commonly spa-like resorts. In some cases they actually were combination spa and bathing resorts. Many spas were promoted by what one author describes as an 'entrepreneurial medical men'. [Walton] The same author also describes a popular sea-bathing tradition prevlent in coastal Catholic Europe. Unlike the spas, this was more of a popular tradition, but only important along he coasts, primarily in southern Europe. The same author describes Catholic Europe as seeing the sea 'as having prophylactic powers at the August spring tides'. The beginning of the shift of popular sea bathing to more refined participants and a commercial activity occurred at Whitby and Scarborough, in North Yorkshire (about 1720). Interesting that it occured in Yorkshire with its bracing North Sea coast. This new activity was limited in extent. England still had a largly agricultural economy. Before the industrial revolution, the great bulk of the population had little or no leisure time or the wherewithall to afford seaside holidays. The wealthy did, and we begin to sea seaside resorts, most along the southeast at Margate, Brighton and Weymouth. The southern climate and location near London were important factors. The stress was on luxury and pleasure at spa like pleasure resorts. An important development here was the Prince Regent's interest in Brighton. The Prince of Wales/Prince regent played an important role because King George III lived a long time. His reign was one of the longest in British history, aone 60 years (1760-1820). The problem with this was that he had serious medical problenms and became known as 'Mad King George'. This meant that the Prince of Wales became the Prince Regent, giving him far more attention and actual power than normally accirded to the Prince of Wales. He first visited Brighton (1783) when he was 21 years old. Brighton was already becoming trendy, in part because of Prince George's uncle, Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland establish residency here. George was impressed because he also was attracted by extravagant cuisine, gambling, theater, and other aspects of fast living. The Prince of Wales was advised by his doctor seawater and fresh air would be beneficial for his gout. This gave him a reasonable justification for frequent visits. Another attraction was the Prince got into hot water for extravagances incurred in building Carlton House in London. Parliament even ordered an investigatiion. As a result, the Prince at first rented a modest farmhouse facing the Old Steine, a grassy area of Brighton used as a promenade by the growing number of visitors. Far enough from the Royal Court in London, the Pavilion was a discreet place for the Prince to enjoy his liaisons with his long-time companion, Maria Fitzherbert. The Prince wanted to marry. Apparently he did so in secret bcause she was Roman Catholic This was prohibited under the Royal Marriages Act (1772). All of this just fueled the public interest in beach resorts. People did not yet, however, have bathing suits.

The 19th Century

The Prince Regent's (future George IV) Brighton royal patronage created a hedonistic pleasure palace at Brighton, called the Brighton Pavillion (early-19th century). He essentially provided royal patronage to sea bathing resorts. I'm not sure how much seabathing he did, it sounds a bit to streb=nous for the portly Prince. Manby of his subjects took to the idea. And the seaside resort became a fast-growing type of English town during the early-19th century. Brighton in fact was one of the fastest growing towns in England. But these resports were limited to the well to do. Then two major developments occurred at mid-century. The Industrial Revolution began the creation of unprecedent wealth and the expansion of cities with a growing industrial proleterit and middle class, both with higher incomes than was the case of agricultural workers. The increased wealth provided the rising middle-class and eventually the workers the income allowing modest seaside vacations to much of the population. And as part of the Industrial Revolution, the railroads began to spread across Britain providing an in expensive way for even workers to get to the seaside. Bruighton sas importanht becauseit was a short straight shoot to the sea. And soon inexpensive accomodations and attractions appeared to accomodate them. For the children, swiming was not the main activity, especially the younger children. For the yiounger children there were also many ttraction. They enjoyed paddling in the shallows or playing in the sand creating sand castles. They had wooden spades to dig for clams. Donkey rides and Punch and Judy shows became standard. Than enterprising entrpreneurs began buildin piers out into the sea. Attraction-packed piers jutting out into the sea became commonplace all along the country's coasts. Blackpool became the world's first working-class seaside resort (late-19th century). They even built their own Eifel Tower.

The 20th Century

Very quickly virtully the entire English and Welsh coastline had resorts of different sizes and appeal (early-20th century). There were not as many in Scotland, reflecting both distance from the major British population centers and water temperature. There were over 100 important seaside resorts in Britain. The family seaside summer vacation became a well established tradition. The beach of course was a major draw which children of all ages could enjoy. Younger children could aplash around in the shallows and play in the sand. Youth could swim. And there all kinds of attractions on the pirs whivh tthe chilfren enjoyed. They ere the amisements parks of the era. And expansion of these piers continued with brief interuptiins during the the two world wars. Unlike World War I, beaches were closed off during World War II as a German invasion for time was threatened after the fall of France. Barbed wire was llaid down and some of the beaches were even mined. After World War II, as car ownnership increased we have new caravan parks appearing. The British resorts had a commercial weakness--the water was cold, evem during the summer. The warm weather Americans associate with a beach vacation, simply did not exist at English beaches. And we see that at countless English beach vacation images from the massive vacation photographic record. This all suddenly changed when cheap air fares opened up inexpensive beach resports in Spain and Portugal and began attracting the British public (1970s). The English resorts which could not compete with the warm climate and water and began to decline. The English might be used to cold water, but that does not mean that warmer beach resort water was nog an instant hit. The prosperity generated by the Thatcher era and market reforms increased the purchasing power of English families and the ability to aford overseas seas-side holidays.

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Created: 12:47 PM 7/9/2017
Last updated: 5:49 PM 10/19/2023