62-543: Vernon Road, Scarborough , North Yorkshire YO11 2NN The Rotunda Museum is one of the oldest purpose-built museums still in use in the United Kingdom . The curved grade II* listed building was constructed in 1829 as one of the country's first purpose-built museums. Situated in the English coastal resort of Scarborough , North Yorkshire , it houses one of the foremost collections of Jurassic geology on
124-440: A Viking raider. There is no archaeological evidence to support this claim, which was made during the 1960s as part of a pageant of Scarborough events. The claim is based on a fragment of an Icelandic Saga . However, due to coastal erosion over the years, evidence may have been lost to the sea. In the 4th century, there was briefly a Roman signal station on Scarborough headland, and there is evidence of earlier settlements, during
186-422: A background in woodworking or welding, and come in standard sizes or often are custom order. Display cases are often designed with security in mind and are normally lockable . They also are made in variety of styles, shapes, and materials as available at a store fixture supplier. Conservation grade cases are used to display valuable artifacts in museums, libraries, and archives. These cases are designed to provide
248-693: A custom installation). Built-in displays may be mounted on the wall, may act as room partitions , or may be hung from the ceiling. On occasion, display cases are built into the floor, such as at the Museum of Sydney (in Sydney , Australia), where the remains of drains and privies are shown in their original context, along with other archeological artifacts . There are three types of freestanding showcases: counter, middle floor (mid-floor), and wall. Counter showcases are designed to display objects through one side (the "customer side") and have them accessible through
310-423: A growing digital and creative economy, as well as being a tourist destination. Residents of the town are known as Scarborians. Scarborough was founded by Danes in the 10th century, when Thorgil (also known as Skarthi, meaning 'hare-lip') built a stronghold here – hence 'Skarthi's burh'. The town is claimed to have been founded around 966 AD as Skarðaborg [ˈskɑrðɑˌborɡ] by Thorgils Skarthi ,
372-458: A licence to go into a large-scale commercial operation from 2019. SeaGrown have an intent to move into the bioplastics market. The tourism trade continues to be a major part of the local economy with Scarborough being the second most-visited destination in England by British holidaymakers. While weekend and mid-week-break trade are tending to replace the traditional week-long family holiday,
434-449: A mix of quality hotels and flats. The ITV television drama The Royal and its recent spin-off series, The Royal Today were both filmed in the area. The South Bay has the largest illuminated 'star disk' anywhere in the UK. It is 85 ft (26 m) across and fitted with subterranean lights representing the 42 brightest stars and major constellations that can be seen from Scarborough in
496-698: A more pedestrian-friendly promenade, street lighting and seating. The town was badly damaged in a 98 plane bombing raid by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War , on 18 March 1941. Twenty eight civilians were killed and hundreds were injured and over 1,400 buildings were damaged. The South Cliff Promenade above the Spa and South Cliff Gardens has wide views of the South Bay and old town. Its splendid Regency and Victorian terraces are still intact, with
558-626: A natural space for picnics, fishing and walkers. In 2012 a new snack bar was built alongside the Mere. The lake is now part of the Oliver's Mount Country Park and the Hispaniola now sails out of Scarborough harbour during the summer season. Surrounding the River Derwent as it flows into the sea are high hills with tall, dense grasses and fertile soil, due to the stream ' Sea Cut ' leading from
620-589: A new boat house was added in 2018. For many years a mock maritime battle (based on the Battle of the River Plate ) has been regularly re-enacted on the boating lake with large model boats and fireworks throughout the summer holiday season. Northstead Manor Gardens include the North Bay Railway and three other attractions: a water chute, a boating lake with boats for hire during the summer season and
682-539: A number of Royal Navy vessels, including HMS Apollo , HMS Fearless and HMS Duncan . The town has an Anglican church, St Martin-on-the-Hill , built in 1862–63 as the parish church of South Cliff. It contains works by Dante Gabriel Rossetti , William Morris , Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Madox Brown . A young Malton architect, John Gibson, designed the Crown Spa Hotel , Scarborough's first purpose-built hotel. Notable Georgian structures include
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#1732780938121744-698: A smaller market on the South Bay. Boyes (based on the town's outskirts in Eastfield ) is a discount department store chain which has over 70 stores across principally the north of England and in the English East Midlands with a flagship shop on Queen Street. Manufacturers based in Scarborough include the Plaxton Company (a division of Alexander Dennis ) which has been building coaches and buses since 1907. Sirius Minerals , which
806-405: A theme of time: four towers represent the seasons, 12 floors the months, 52 chimneys the weeks and the original 365 bedrooms represented the days of the year. A blue plaque outside the hotel marks where the novelist Anne Brontë died in 1849. She was buried in the graveyard of St Mary's Church by the castle. An amount of 20th century architecture exists within the main shopping district and in
868-501: A tightly controlled environment free from chemical pollutants. They can ship pre-assembled or knockdown (in pieces to be assembled by the customer). Pre-assembled showcases are assembled (and usually tested) by the manufacturer, and are shipped ready-to-use. Knockdown showcases are usually lower in price and cheaper to ship, but may be of poorer quality than pre-assembled, and may arrive missing pieces. American artist Joseph Cornell constructed many shadow boxes during his career, with
930-482: A two-year refurbishment costing £4.4 million. The museum was renamed The Rotunda – The William Smith Museum of Geology. Scarborough, North Yorkshire Scarborough ( / ˈ s k ɑːr b r ə / ) is a seaside town in the district and county of North Yorkshire , England. With a population of 61,749, Scarborough is the largest town on the Yorkshire Coast and the fourth-largest settlement in
992-580: Is developing a potash mine near Whitby, has its headquarters in Scarborough. McCain Foods has a factory in the town for over 50 years, and sponsored the previous football stadium . Scarborough power station supplied electricity to the town and the surrounding area from 1893 to 1958. It was owned and operated by the Scarborough Electric Supply Company Limited from 1893 to 1925, then by Scarborough Corporation until
1054-403: Is far above sea level compared to the immediate coastline, where the climate is likely slightly milder year round. Scarborough's fishing industry is still active, though much reduced in size. The working harbour is home to a fish market including a shop and wooden stalls where fresh, locally-caught seafood can be purchased by the public. A seaweed farm has been in operation since 2018, with
1116-567: Is for a fish weighing 851 lb (386 kg) caught off Scarborough in 1933 by Laurie Mitchell-Henry. On 5 June 1993, Scarborough made international headlines when a landslip caused part of the Holbeck Hall Hotel , along with its gardens, to fall into the sea. Although the slip was shored up with rocks and the land has long since grassed over, evidence of the cliff's collapse remains clearly visible from The Esplanade, near Shuttleworth Gardens. Scarborough has been affiliated with
1178-643: Is the eastern terminus of the York-Scarborough line , part of the North TransPennine route. TransPennine Express operates an hourly service to York , with alternate trains continuing on to Leeds and Manchester Piccadilly . Northern Trains operates a service to Hull on the Yorkshire Coast Line . It has the longest station seat in the world at 152 yards (139 m) in length. The town used to be connected to Whitby , via
1240-490: Is unique in Britain and extends over an area of about the size of two tennis courts. It included a bathhouse and a cylindrical tower with rooms radiating from it. The buildings were “designed by the highest-quality architects in northern Europe in the era and constructed by the finest craftsmen.” Historic England described the finds as “one of the most important Roman discoveries in the past decade.” There are plans to revise
1302-463: The First World War . The promontory divides the seafront into two bays, north and south. The two bays are linked by Marine Drive, an extensive Victorian promenade, built around the base of the headland. Both bays have popular sandy beaches and numerous rock-pools at low tide. The South Bay was the site of the original medieval settlement and harbour, which form the old town. This remains
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#17327809381211364-796: The Rotunda Museum , Cliff Bridge and Scarborough Pier Lighthouse . Victorian buildings include the Classical Public Library and Market Hall, the Town Hall , Scarborough Spa , the Art Gallery , the South Cliff Methodist Church, and Scarborough railway station . The architecture of Scarborough generally consists of small, low, orange pantile -roofed buildings in the historic old town, and larger Classical and late Victorian buildings reflecting
1426-783: The Scarborough and Whitby Railway along the Yorkshire coast; this closed in 1965, as part of the Beeching cuts . Seamer railway station , in the suburb of Crossgates , is a stop on both lines. Display cabinet A display case (also called a showcase , display cabinet , shadow box , or vitrine ) is a cabinet with one or often more transparent tempered glass (or plastic , normally acrylic for strength) surfaces, used to display objects for viewing. A display case may appear in an exhibition , museum , retail store , restaurant , or house . Often, labels are included with
1488-579: The Stone Age and Bronze Age . Any settlement between the fifth and ninth centuries would have been burned to the ground by a band of Vikings under Tostig Godwinson (a rival of Thorgils Skarthi ), Lord of Falsgrave, or Harald III of Norway . These periodic episodes of destruction and massacre means that very little evidence of settlement during this period remained to be recorded in the Domesday survey of 1085. (The original inland village of Falsgrave
1550-637: The Yorkshire Coast . The Rotunda Museum, described as the finest surviving purpose-built museum of its age in the country, was built in 1829 by Richard Hey Sharp of York, to a design suggested by William Smith , the "Father of English Geology". Smith's pioneering work established that geological strata could be identified and correlated using the fossils they contain. Smith came to Scarborough after his release from debtors' prison. The dramatic Jurassic coastline of Yorkshire offered him an area of geological richness. Sir John Johnstone became Smith's patron and employed him as his land steward at Hackness . Johnstone
1612-527: The 13th to the 18th century, and is commemorated in the song Scarborough Fair : Scarborough and its castle changed hands seven times between Royalists and Parliamentarians during the English Civil War of the 1640s, enduring two lengthy and violent sieges. Following the civil war, much of the town lay in ruins. In 1626, Mrs Thomasin Farrer discovered a stream of acidic water running from one of
1674-637: The 2008 Enterprising Britain competition, with representatives from Woodend Creative Workspace and Scarborough-based Electric Angel Design representing the town in the Yorkshire and Humber regional heats. In the finals in London on 16 October 2008, Scarborough won the title of Britain's Most Enterprising Town, and subsequently went on to win the European Enterprise Awards as Great Britain's representative, on 13 May 2009 in Prague . In 2010
1736-707: The A64 and A165. Buses run from each terminus to the town centre and South Bay at least every 12 minutes, seven days a week, with stopping points around the town centre. Buses from the Filey Road terminus on the A165 also stop at the University of Hull 's Scarborough campus. Open top tourist buses, branded Beachcomber , also run along the sea front and Marine Drive, linking the South and North bays. Scarborough railway station
1798-580: The British Tunny Club, was founded in 1933 and set up its headquarters in the town at the place which is now a restaurant with the same name. Scarborough became a resort for high society. A women's world tuna challenge cup was held for many years. Colonel (and, later, Sir) Edward Peel landed a world-record tunny of 798 lb (362 kg), capturing the record by 40 lb (18.1 kg) from one caught off Nova Scotia by American champion Zane Grey . The British record which still stands
1860-565: The European Regional Development Fund and over £1.5 million raised from private and corporate sources. Supported by English Heritage , the project was designed to make the museum a gateway to the area's Dinosaur Coast and included creating a new entrance and installing a lift to improve disabled access. It was also intended to act as a tribute to the Rotunda's designer, William Smith. William Anelay Limited
1922-582: The River Derwent to the estuary at the North Sea. The area has flourishing and vibrant flora and crop growth. The climate is temperate with mild summers and cool, windy, winters. The hottest months of the year are July and August, with temperatures reaching an average high of 17 °C and falling to 11 °C at night. The average daytime temperatures in January are 4 °C, falling to 1 °C at night. The station's elevation of 110 m (360 ft)
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1984-417: The architect, Richard Sharp of York, to follow that design. The Rotunda Museum was built to Smith's design suggestion and the original display of fossils illustrated his ideas. The fossils and rocks were arranged in the order in which they occurred, with the youngest in the cases at the top and the oldest at the bottom. The order around the walls reflected the order of rocks on the Yorkshire coast. A section of
2046-405: The beaches and attractions are busy throughout summer, a contrast to quieter winter months. Scarborough's town centre has a multiple boutique shops (such as on Bar Street and St Thomas Street) with a main pedestrianised shopping street and a shopping centre with many major chains. The town also has an indoor market hall with a large range of antique shops and independent traders in its vaults, and
2108-615: The bookseller Andrew Millar and his family. Their son Andrew junior died there in 1750. The coming of the Scarborough–York railway in 1845 increased the tide of visitors. Scarborough railway station claims a record for the world's longest platform seat. From the 1880s until the First World War, Scarborough was one of the regular destinations for The Bass Excursions , when fifteen trains would take between 8,000 and 9,000 employees of Bass's Burton brewery on an annual trip to
2170-401: The cliffs to the south of the town. This gave birth to Scarborough Spa , and Dr Robert Wittie's book about the spa waters published in 1660 attracted a flood of visitors to the town. Scarborough Spa became Britain 's first seaside resort, though the first rolling bathing machines were not reported on the sands until 1735. It was a popular getaway destination for the wealthy of London, such as
2232-655: The country. The collection also includes a large selection of Cretaceous fossils from the Speeton Clay and the Chalk, a wide variety of Upper and Lower Jurassic specimens, specimens from the Ice Age such as mammoth teeth and fossils from the Kirkdale Cave and a pristine Carboniferous plant collection. The whole collection was catalogued and conserved in 2007 and the more spectacular specimens are now on display in
2294-545: The county. It is located on the North Sea coastline. Historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire , the town lies between 10 and 230 feet (3–70 m) above sea level, from the harbour rising steeply north and west towards limestone cliffs. The older part of the town lies around the harbour and is protected by a rocky headland which extends into the North Sea . The town has fishing and service industries, including
2356-427: The displayed objects, providing information such as descriptions or prices. In a museum, the displayed cultural artifacts are normally part of the museum's collection , or are part of a temporary exhibition. In retail or a restaurant, the items are normally being offered for sale. A trophy case is used to display sports trophies or other awards. A display case may be freestanding on the floor, or built-in (usually
2418-560: The form of surrounding suburbs. Buildings from this century include the Futurist Theatre (1914), Stephen Joseph Theatre , Brunswick Shopping Centre (1990), and GCHQ Scarborough , a satellite station on the outskirts of the town. The North Bay has traditionally been the more peaceful end of the resort and is home to Peasholm Park which, in June 2007, was restored to its Japanese-themed glory, complete with reconstructed pagoda ,
2480-477: The hospital but promised to maintain the site's Accident and Emergency department. A new £47 million Emergency Department is under construction and is due to open in early 2024. The town's built-up area population was 61,749 in the 2011 UK census , most of the Newby and Scalby civil parish population was included in the area. Its unparished area has a larger population than the rest of parished areas of
2542-491: The housing development layout, recover the remains and incorporate them in a public green area. Historic England is to recommend the remains be protected as a scheduled monument. Scarborough recovered under King Henry II , who built an Angevin stone castle on the headland and granted the town charters in 1155 and 1163, permitting a market on the sands and establishing rule by burgesses . Edward II granted Scarborough Castle to his favourite, Piers Gaveston . The castle
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2604-411: The main tourist area, with a sandy beach, cafés, amusements, arcades, theatres and entertainment facilities. The modern commercial town centre has migrated 440 yd (400 m) north-west of the harbour area and 100 ft (30 m) above it and contains the transport hubs, main services, shopping and nightlife. The harbour has undergone major regeneration including the new Albert Strange Pontoons,
2666-525: The nationalisation of utilities by the Attlee ministry in 1948. The coal-fired power station had an electricity generating capacity of 7 MW prior to its closure in October 1958. Creative industries have been cited as playing a vital role in the regeneration of Scarborough; a report in 2005 estimated that they comprised 19% of the town's economy. They were also a major focus of Scarborough's winning entry in
2728-453: The northern skies. To the south-west of the town, beside the York to Scarborough railway line , is an ornamental lake known as Scarborough Mere . In the 20th century the Mere was a popular park, with rowing boats, canoes and a miniature pirate ship – the Hispaniola – on which passengers were taken to 'Treasure Island' to dig for doubloons. Since the late 1990s the Mere has been redesigned as
2790-474: The oldest operational diesel-hydraulic locomotive in the world. Neptune was built in 1931 by Hudswell Clarke of Leeds and is appropriately numbered 1931. The most striking feature of the town's geography is the high rocky promontory pointing eastward into the North Sea with Scarborough Castle on the top. The castle was bombarded by the German warships SMS Derfflinger and SMS Von der Tann in
2852-468: The open-air theatre . The water chute is now grade II listed and is one of the oldest surviving water chutes in Britain, with the ride of today being the same as when it was opened in the 1930s. The North Bay Railway is a miniature railway running from near Peasholm Park, through Northstead Manor Gardens to the Sea Life Centre at Scalby Mills. The North Bay Railway has what is believed to be
2914-568: The other (the "clerk side"). For this reason, the counter displays are most relevant for retail stores. The middle floor cases are built to display objects from all sides, and are meant to be placed in the middle of the room. Wall showcases are meant to be placed against a wall, where the products are displayed and accessed from the same side. These last two types are used heavily – not only by stores – but also by museums, schools, and especially in homes to showcase valuable items or collections. Display cases are typically made by specialist companies with
2976-520: The refurbished Rotunda Museum. These give a taste of the quality and range of the fossils and minerals that have been found along Yorkshire's Dinosaur Coast which stretches from Redcar in the north to Flamborough in the south. Scarborough Borough Council's plans to return the institution to its original role as a geological showcase were supported by a £1.8 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), as well as funds from
3038-430: The rocks on the coast was drawn around the inside of the dome of the building by Smiths nephew, another geologist, John Phillips . The two wings were added to the building in 1860. With over 5,500 fossils and 3,000 minerals, the strengths of the Scarborough collection are numerous type specimens, which were the first of their kind ever to be described, and one of the finest collections of Middle Jurassic fossil plants in
3100-613: The seaside. During the First World War , the town was bombarded by German warships of the High Seas Fleet , an act which shocked the British (see Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby ). Scarborough Pier Lighthouse , built in 1806, was damaged in the attack. A U-boat assault on the town, on 25 September 1916 saw three people killed and a further five injured. Eleven of Scarborough's trawler fleet were sunk at sea in another U-boat attack, on 4 September 1917. In 1929,
3162-405: The steam drifter Ascendent caught a 560 lb (250 kg) tunny ( Atlantic bluefin tuna ) and a Scarborough showman awarded the crew 50 shillings so he could exhibit it as a tourist attraction. Big-game tunny fishing off Scarborough effectively started in 1930 when Lorenzo "Lawrie" Mitchell–Henry, landed a tunny caught on rod and line weighing 560 lb (250 kg). A gentlemen's club,
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#17327809381213224-525: The time during the 19th century as it expanded away from its historic centre into a coastal spa resort. A notable landmark in the town is the Grand Hotel on St Nicholas Cliff. Designed by Cuthbert Brodrick of Hull, it was completed in 1867; at the time of its opening, it was the largest hotel and the largest brick structure in Europe. It uses local yellow brickwork with red detailing and is based around
3286-504: The town was the winner of the 'Great Town Award', as nominated by the Academy of Urbanism, beating Chester and Cambridge respectively. Scarborough Hospital is the local district general NHS hospital. It is run by the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust , and is the largest employer in the area employing over 2,400 staff. A review of acute healthcare in the town in 2019 identified problems recruiting staff at
3348-521: The town; these also link it to other major towns and cities: Scarborough has 25 main bus routes, operated by Scarborough Locals , Arriva North East , Shoreline Suncruisers and Yorkshire Coastliner . These link the town centre with its suburbs, the North York Moors and local towns and cities such as Bridlington , Whitby , York , Hull , Middlesbrough and Leeds . The town is also served by two Park and Ride services, with locations on
3410-424: The wider Borough of Scarborough , including the coastal towns of Whitby and Filey . The borough as a whole has a population of around 108,000; during the peak season, tourism can double these figures. 7.5% of the population are aged over 60, compared with an average of 20.9% nationally. Only 21.9% of the population are aged between 20 and 39, compared to 28.1% nationally. Scarborough has four major roads serving
3472-578: The work. The cabinets now display items such as a model of George Cayley 's original flying machine and an early steam car model by Sir Edward Harland . Lower tiers house artifacts such as fossils, rock samples and minerals. Shell is the biggest corporate donor and is the title sponsor of the Shell Geology Now! gallery. This area of the museum looks at current geological and environmental research "bringing it to life for visitors to this unique museum". It reopened on Friday 9 May 2008 following
3534-509: The works evoking a strong sense of nostalgia , decay, or loss. By tradition, shadow boxes are typically presented to members of the United States Armed Forces upon retirement . These shadow boxes will usually contain the various medals and awards a person has earned through a military career, the flags of both their country and their military service branch, and their final badge of rank . A similar case, called
3596-484: Was Anglo-Saxon rather than Viking.) A Roman signal station was built on a cliff-top location overlooking the North Sea. It was one of a chain of signal stations, built to warn of sea-raiders. Coins found at the site show that it was occupied from c. AD 370 until the early fifth century. In 2021 an excavation at a housing development in Eastfield , Scarborough, revealed a Roman luxury villa, religious sanctuary, or combination of both. The building layout
3658-416: Was contracted to carry out essential external stonemasonry repairs and to cover the existing dome roof with a new lead covering. The contract included the demolition of some internal walls and the building of an extension to the front of the property. This provided a new entrance area, offices and toilet facilities and allows access from the path to the building at basement level. The existing spiral staircase
3720-608: Was president of the Scarborough Philosophical Society, which raised the money to build the Rotunda and consulted Smith as to the museum's design. Still in his twenties, Sir John was an intellectual leader in Scarborough in the 1820s and a staunch supporter of Smith and his ideas. He donated the Hackness stone of which the Rotunda Museum is built. Smith had seen a rotunda in London and instructed
3782-603: Was removed and stored, and a new one installed allowing for a lift shaft in the centre. The museum was closed during the restoration and refurbishment period and reopened in May 2008. A set of unique glass display cabinets has been put back in the museum after undergoing restoration. The cabinets date back to 1850 and were designed to showcase the work of Smith. They were removed from the upper gallery and have now been cleaned, restored and repaired where necessary. Tim Phelps and his team of specialists based near Knaresborough carried out
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#17327809381213844-754: Was subsequently besieged by forces led by the barons Percy, Warenne, Clifford and Pembroke. Gaveston was captured and taken to Oxford and thence to Warwick Castle for execution. In 1318, the town was burnt by the Scots , under Sir James Douglas following the Capture of Berwick upon Tweed . In the Middle Ages , Scarborough Fair , permitted in a royal charter of 1253, held a six-week trading festival attracting merchants from all over Europe. It ran from Assumption Day , 15 August, until Michaelmas Day , 29 September. The fair continued to be held for 500 years, from
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