Yahoo News Scarborough's historic beach chalets restored in £580,000 project after landslip devastation
A block of Scarborough's beach chalets, which were demolished following two landslips, have been restored to their former Edwardian splendour.
The 11 chalets, on the town's South Cliff are part of a crescent of 22 under the Clock Cafe and were severely damaged by two landslips in 2018, leading to their demolition a year later. North Yorkshire Council has now rebuilt the wooden chalets in a £580,000 project, replicating the former Grade II listed buildings with their multi-coloured doors rejuvenating the landscape above South Bay.
Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire Council, said: "Rebuilding these chalets means we have restored an important part of Scarborough and adds to the £7.2 million restoration scheme at South Cliff Gardens. Together with the chalets we own in Filey and Whitby, they are a big part of our tourism offer, being popular with both local people and visitors."
For retired businessman Martin Johnson, his wife Jenny, and their family, it means they can return to their "happy" place once more.
They have rented chalets on the Scarborough coastline for nearly 50 years and felt "lost" when number 250 was destroyed by the weather. "Beach chalets are in our blood both of us grew up spending hours at chalets in Scarborough rented by our families so it was only natural that we rented one ourselves," Mr Johnson said.
"Our three daughters also grew up with them, and when they return home it's one of the first places they want to go to. The newly built chalets are lovely, very true to the originals and it's great to see them reopened."
"We love the community that is generated by them we have a lot of friends we have met there. It is a very relaxing place to come to sit and watch the sea, the children playing on the beach, and meet friends for coffee."
Beach huts first appeared in North Bay, Scarborough in 1911, with those at South Bay being constructed around 1911 to 1912. Bathing machines were popular along the British coast into the early 1900s, but war led to the closure of beaches.
When they reopened, people rekindled their love for beach holidays, leading to a surge in popularity for modern beach chalets.
Cllr Richard Maw, North Yorkshire Council's ward member for Weaponness and Ramshill, expressed his delight: "I am super delighted to see the opening of the new beach chalets on South Cliff, which look amazing."
"They mirror the original huts whilst simultaneously providing improved facilities. I am certain that locals and tourists will find these new chalets very much to their liking and are a welcome investment to the South Cliff area."
"In 2026 Scarborough celebrates its quatercentenary as a tourism resort marking us as the UK's first seaside resort. Beach chalets are a crucial part of the seaside visitor experience and these new builds can rightly be celebrated! ".
North Yorkshire Council is offering a range of chalets for weekly and daily lets, with 35 in Scarborough, 170 in Whitby and 36 in Filey. For more details on how to book, visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/leisure-tourism-and-culture/beaches.
The South Cliff Gardens have been given a new lease of life thanks to a two-year restoration project, funded by grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund.
Completed in March last year, the scheme saw improvements made to access, the creation of a new depot for the gardens team, and the introduction of new signage. Notable features such as the Italian Gardens and the listed Holbeck Clock Tower were restored, along with the Italianate Steps, enhancing access to the Spa buildings and Scarborough's promenade.
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