Why did towns such as Scarborough and Blackpool develop during the Industrial Revolution?

The middle classes were the first to take advantage of the marvellous new railway network spreading like a spider’s web across Britain in the 1840s, whisking them from the cities to seaside towns around the coast. Genteel resorts which had previously attracted the well-to-do, like Weymouth, Scarborough and Brighton, now saw an influx of new visitors while resorts such as Blackpool and Llandudno, Cromer and Minehead all grew up in response to the growing demand for a jolly day out in the healthy sea air. Blackpool was at the very forefront of seaside entertainment for the working classes. After Blackpool station opened in 1846 its easy accessibility from the Lancashire mill towns, coupled with the northern tradition of ‘wakes weeks’, led to thousands of holidaymakers taking the train to Blackpool each year to enjoy the wide beaches, the fresh air, and the increasing number of entertainments that the enterprising town businesses provided for their amusement. The increasing popularity of the seaside among all social classes can be seen in the building of the piers in Blackpool. It wasn’t long before the working classes too were jumping on trains and joining their more affluent contemporaries at the beach. Wakes weeks are often considered to be the origin of the British Summer Holiday. Once the railway arrived, thousands of working-class families took advantage of the wakes week holiday to spend the day at the seaside.