National Recognition for Scarborough's South Cliff Gardens

Scarborough's South Cliff Gardens have been voted one of the best heritage coastal places to visit in the country in the Seaside Heritage Network’s 2023 Bucket and Spade List.

The newly refurbished garden's came 7th in the shortlisted top 10 as voted for by the public.

The Bucket and Spade List was announced in the superb setting of Blackpool Winter Gardens yesterday when the top three finalists were awarded with certificates by designer and seaside regeneration expert, Wayne Hemingway MBE.

The Seaside Heritage Network aims to connect people, groups and businesses who care about the heritage of Britain’s seaside resorts. It is run by volunteers who are specialists from the tourism, academic, history and heritage sectors.

Dr Kathryn Ferry, a founder member of the Seaside Heritage Network, said how important it was to see people and communities getting behind the vote:

‘There’s a strong nostalgic element to these finalists but that’s no bad thing, it shows how embedded the seaside holiday and seaside resorts are within our island culture. Too often, these towns get a bad press but it’s time to change perceptions and celebrate the joy and entertainment the seaside has brought to generations of Britons.

Embracing the power of seaside heritage to connect with people anew can help places that have been suffering social and economic problems. Morecambe Winter Gardens and Dreamland Margate are examples of the potentially transformativeve power of seaside heritage and we congratulate all of our worthy finalists – not least the donkeys!’

Gemma Alexander, Community Engagement Officer for South Cliff Gardens, said:

“We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to have made it onto the top 10 of the Bucket and Spade List, it’s a huge privilege to be included.  We would like to extend an enormous thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for us. The gardens have recently undergone a significant transformation thanks to the backing of the National Lottery Heritage and Community Funds and fantastic local support. We can’t wait to share them with visitors both old and new now that the restoration work is completed.  We have so many beautiful and unique heritage features to explore and discover as well as spectacular views and a few new surprises! “

The top ten favourite seaside places and experiences as voted for by members of the public are:

1. Saltburn Cliff Tramway, Saltburn-by-the-Sea
2. Blackpool Tower
3. Morecambe Winter Gardens
4. Silcock's Carousel, Southport
5. Donkey Rides, Weymouth
6. Papa's Fish & Chips, Cleethorpes
7. South Cliff Gardens, Scarborough
8. Dreamland Margate
9. Bournemouth Beach Huts
10. Babbacombe Model Village

The original Seaside Heritage Network was set up in 2015 as a subject specialist network administered by Scarborough Museums Trust with a grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. It was unable to continue after the grant period came to an end but in 2022 a group of volunteers working in the field decided to restart the network, with the support of Scarborough Museums and Galleries, to draw attention to the value of our rich and varied resort heritage.

The Seaside Heritage Network is run by Dr Kathryn Ferry, seaside historian, author and broadcaster, Dr Anya Chapman, Principal Academic in Tourism Management at Bournemouth University, Dr Allan Brodie, former Senior Investigator at Historic England and now a visiting fellow at Bournemouth University, Dr Duncan Light, Principal Academic in Tourism at Bournemouth University and Samantha Richardson MBE, Director of the National Coastal Tourism Academy.

Since its inception the new Seaside Heritage Network has run online seminars about funding big heritage projects including Morecambe Winter Gardens, Blackpool Tower and Worthing Pier; the often overlooked heritage of amusement arcades and parks; ways of marketing the seaside today and in the past; new research in progress and as presented in a museum context; and the challenges of caring for cast iron on the coast through the case studies of Great Yarmouth Winter Gardens, Southport’s Lord Street verandahs and Cromer Pier.

On 1 July 2023 the Seaside Heritage Network also initiated #NationalSeasideDay as an additional way of generating interest and raising the profile of seaside places.