place

Scarborough funiculars

4 ft gauge railways in England6 ft 6 in gauge railways in England7 ft 6 in gauge railways in EnglandFunicular railways in the United KingdomStandard gauge railways in England
Transport in Scarborough, North YorkshireUse British English from October 2017
Central Tramway top station
Central Tramway top station

The British town of Scarborough has had a total of five cliff railways, or funiculars, two of which are presently operational. The town is home to the first funicular railway in the United Kingdom.Having noted the need for better transit between the town and its bays, particularly for tourists, the construction of Scarborough's first funicular commenced in 1873. Designed by William Lucas and built by Crossley Brothers on a route between Scarborough Spa on South Sands and the South Cliff Esplanade, this water-driven lift was opened on 6 July 1875. During subsequent years, multiple other funiculars were constructed; in all, two lifts served Scarborough's North Bay while three covered the South Bay. Various means of propulsion, from steam power to electricity have been used over the years, while other upgrades such as automated operations have been implemented as well. While some of these funiculars remain operational, others have been permanently withdrawn: both of the North Bay railways have been demolished, while one on South Bay is extant but out of use since 2006. The other two South Cliff lifts are still operational. Reasons for closures have included unsuitable terrain, insufficient revenue, excessive capacity in relation to demand and excessive refurbishment/upgrade costs.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Scarborough funiculars (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Scarborough funiculars
McBean Steps,

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Scarborough funicularsContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 54.2809 ° E -0.3978 °
placeShow on map

Address

McBean Steps

McBean Steps
YO11 2ER , The Old Town
England, United Kingdom
mapOpen on Google Maps

Central Tramway top station
Central Tramway top station
Share experience

Nearby Places

Royal Hotel, Scarborough
Royal Hotel, Scarborough

The Royal Hotel is a historic building in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, a town in England. In 1725, an assembly room or "Long Room" was constructed on St Nicholas Street, reputedly to a design by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington. It contained an Egyptian-themed hall, measuring 112 feet (34 m) by 40 feet (12 m), and as high as it was wide. This became the principal location for grand balls in the town in the 18th century. Around 1800, it was purchased by Richard Donner, and was renamed "Donner's Rooms". In 1820, Donner turned the building into a hotel, by adding bedrooms. He sold the building in about 1840, and the new owners renamed it as the "Royal Hotel". In 1847, they added Donner's former house to the hotel, then in 1862 a new block was added, to a design by Henry Wyatt. In 1897, some of the first films shown in the UK were exhibited in the hotel by Louis Lumière. In 1935, the hotel was purchased by the Laughton family, who demolished the billiards room and constructed a new dining room in its place. They also purchased many paintings by well-known artists for display in the hotel, several of which are now in the collection of Scarborough Art Gallery. During this period, Winston Churchill once stayed as a guest. In the early 21st century, the hotel was owned by English Rose Hotels. In 2012, it was purchased by Britannia Hotels, at which time, it had 118 bedrooms. The hotel is on a curved corner site. It is stuccoed, and has a cornice, a parapet, four storeys and a complex plan. The main front has two and three-storey canted bay windows with Corinthian colonnettes, and along the middle two floors are continuous balconies. The doorway is flanked by Composite columns. Inside, there is a grand staircase hall rising the full height of the building, with a curved iron staircase. The first floor lounge retains mid-19th century plasterwork and a marble fireplace. The ballroom may retain some fabric from the original Long Room, but is heavily altered. The building has been grade II listed since 1973.