Interesting Facts About Scarborough That You Never Knew
Posted 07 February 2023 in Location Guides
Written by Britannia Web Team 
Scarborough is best known for being a relatively quiet seaside town, but if you look a little but closer, you will find that there is some truly rich and interesting history in this town. Why not take a short, relaxing trip to Scarborough this year to experience its culture and history for yourself? We have not one, but three stunning Britannia Hotels dotted around this town for your stay: The Grand Hotel Scarborough, The Clifton Scarborough and The Royal Hotel Scarborough.
Did you know…
The oldest house in Britain was discovered just outside Scarborough in Star Carr. It is said to be dated around 8500BC and is frequently compared to Stonehenge in relation to its historical importance.
Scarborough Spa, a listed Grade II band stand and orchestra is the last remaining seaside orchestra in the entire UK.
In 1988, a group of Scarborough school students came together to create the world’s largest comic strip. The group transformed part of South Bay beach into a massive page from The Beano.
South Bay beach is still thriving, and with it being less than a five-minute walk from The Grand Hotel Scarborough, you can visit this iconic spot for yourself, although the strip has since sadly washed away.
Scarborough is home to largest open air theatre in Europe, able to seat some 8,000 people. Upcoming concerts include Olly Murs, Pulp, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man and Blondie.
In 1933, Lorenzo Mithcell-Henry broke the British record for tunny fishing, catching a fish in Scarborough weighing 851Ibs (386kg).
There are still many amazing fossils scattered across the Scarborough coastline, giving it the title of Dinosaur Coast. There is even a geology museum, The Rotunda Museum, located in South Bay, Scarborough, where you can learn more about the subject.
JumpStation, the world’s first web-crawling search engine, the technology that powers all major search engines we know today, was created by Jonathon Fletcher from Scarborough.
Our very own Grand Hotel Scarborough holds a lot of history itself. After its completion in 1867, it stood as the largest hotel in the whole of Europe! Throughout its life, many well known names have swept through the halls of this hotel. Some notable guests are ex-prime minister Winston Churchill and all four of The Beatles. There is even a blue, commemorative plaque on the hotel to mark where the acclaimed novelist Anne Brontë passed away.