Why did Victorians go to the seaside?
Berenice Purdy
2025-05-03 16:43:11
Count answers: 1
Their creation was driven by the arrival of the steam railway in the 1840s and, in a fast-changing Victorian world, it was boosted by doctors who were keen to prescribe rest and relaxation on the coast as an antidote to most common ailments. The bracing sea air and taking of the waters was good for you, they agreed. The middle classes and landed gentry were quick to heed the advice and head off to these new and exciting resorts. As early as the 1700s, King George III’s physician recommended he take a break on the coast so he headed for Weymouth in Dorset. Many of these newly transformed Victorian seaside resorts had previously been quaint fishing villages boasting no more than a few dozen cottages, a hostelry and a general store for provisions. But they had “potential” and were developed with all manner of creature comforts for the new tourism trade. The railway brought in free-spending Victorian tourists by the train load. Travel agent Thomas Cook and Son began organising rail excursions in 1841 and hastened yet more tourists to the coast.
Noble Eichmann
2025-04-23 01:27:22
Count answers: 2
Doctors were quick to prescribe sea air and taking the waters to society’s upper echelons. The well-to-do were keen to head to the seaside to mingle and try the latest medical advice. Royals at the seaside set the trend, with King George III heading to Weymouth, Dorset on the advice of his doctors. Our middle and working class Victorian forebears were keen to leave their industrial cities behind for a few days. The royal family certainly set the seaside trend, with hundreds of years later we’re still following in their footsteps, yearning for some sun, sea and sand, either at home or abroad. Picture this: you’re a hard-working Victorian with a bank holiday just around the corner, and you’ve saved up enough for a cheap trip to the seaside. Later, cheap rail tickets meant the lower classes could join in the fun too. Travel giant Thomas Cook and Son organised their first rail excursion in 1841, which soon evolved into train tickets to the Great Exhibition in 1851. It wasn’t until the railway steamed into existence in the 1840s that the seaside towns became must-visit destinations, often transforming quiet, unassuming fishing villages into tourist hotspots.
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