75-805: Umtentweni , also officially known as eMthenteni , is a small coastal resort on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa , between the Mzimkulu River (the great home of all rivers) and the Mtentweni River (named after a species of grass that grows on its banks). It forms part of the coastal town of Port Shepstone in the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality (part of the Ugu District Municipality ), KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa . It
150-686: A "passport", the proceeds of which went towards the war veteran charity Help for Heroes . Mersea Island School is a foundation primary school in West Mersea with 450 pupils aged 4–11. The school has an additional nursery for 52 children aged 2–4. The school was built by Horace Darken in 1871–72, with additional classrooms added in 1897. There are no secondary schools on the island. The nearest are Thomas Lord Audley School in Colchester and Thurstable School in Tiptree . The main access to
225-467: A mix of London Clay , chalky boulder clay, sand and gravel. Internally, the island is split between West Mersea , which is the main inhabited area containing the jetty and marina, and East Mersea , which is predominantly farmland and includes Cudmore Grove County Park to the east. There is also a small hamlet at Barrow Hill to the north of West Mersea. The land immediately facing the Blackwater
300-427: A number of fish traps exist around the island, which date from around the 7th century. The Anglo-Saxons established a large fish weir at Besom Fleet to the southwest of the island and built the church at West Mersea. It was damaged by Norse raiders in 894 and rebuilt afterwards. The west tower was added to the church around the 11th century, the south aisle in the 15th and various other rebuilds continued towards
375-561: A petition against the proposed opening of a Tesco Express store on the island, expressing concern that it would take trade away from local businesses. Planning permission was granted the following year. On 4 June 2012, as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the island declared a mock independence from the UK for that day. Anyone travelling to the island across the Strood paid 50p for
450-544: A railway between Colchester and the island, which would have ended at a pier next to the Esplanade in the south, with an additional station in West Mersea on what is now East Road. The plans were abandoned due to the First World War. A regular bus service links West and, infrequently, East Mersea to Colchester via the Strood and Abberton . A foot ferry runs from East Mersea to Point Clear and Brightlingsea on
525-655: A seaside resort dedicated to tourism with a large fishing fleet of recreational charter boats. Seaside resorts on the Flemish coast of West-Vlaanderen exist at the famous Knokke , Ostend and also De Panne and coastal towns along the North Sea served by the coastal tramway Kusttram run by De Lijn . There are many seaside resorts on the jagged coastline of Croatia and its several islands, including: With three long coastlines, France has many seaside resorts on its various coasts; for specific towns in each region, see
600-597: A unique architectural style called resort architecture . The coast of Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania alone has an overall length of 2000 km and is nicknamed German Riviera . Heiligendamm in Mecklenburg , established in 1793, is the oldest seaside resort in Germany and continental Europe . Most important coastal areas with seaside resorts in Germany: Selection of German seaside resorts along
675-604: A visit being considered as treatment for chest complaints. Owing to its generally better climate, the south coast has many seaside towns, the most being in Sussex . In the later 20th century, the popularity of the British seaside resort declined for the same reason that it first flourished: advances in transport. The greater accessibility of foreign holiday destinations, through package holidays and, more recently, European low-cost airlines , makes it easier to holiday abroad. Despite
750-400: Is a relatively clean and quiet residential resort; it has become an attractive destination for people aiming to get away from city life. Most of the village is filled with complexes, flats, bed and breakfasts and suburban-style houses. Twenty years ago the whole of Umtentweni consisted of a lot of greenery and wildlife. All this has changed due to the growing popularity of this small resort and
825-629: Is a week-long August festival of boat racing organised by the West Mersea Yacht Club and Dabchicks Sailing Club, established in 1973. During the week, starting on Monday, there are races for many boat classes in the Blackwater Estuary , from Optimist dinghies to large yachts. The most celebrated event is the Round-the-Island race, where dinghies attempt to sail round the island in either direction, helped over
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#1732790607833900-609: Is an island in Essex , England, in the Blackwater and Colne estuaries to the south-east of Colchester . Its name comes from the Old English word meresig , meaning "island of the pool" and thus is tautological . The island is split into two main areas, West Mersea and East Mersea , and connected to the mainland by the Strood, a causeway that can flood at high tide. The island has been inhabited since pre-Roman times. It
975-479: Is known as the Mersea flats, which is mostly beach that dries at low tide. The former Bradwell Power Station can be seen on the other side. West Mersea can be further divided into three areas. The Old City in the southwest of West Mersea serves the fishing and yachting industries and contains a number of listed buildings . The centre contains the church of St Peter & St Paul, while the beach and esplanade are to
1050-580: Is not always true; for example Broadstairs in Kent has retained much of its old world charm with Punch and Judy and donkey rides and still remains popular, being only one hour from the M25 . Brighton has also seen a fall in visitor numbers in recent years. The city has also experienced a rise in homelessness, especially noticeable on the city streets and in green spaces where tents have been erected. Mersea Island Mersea Island / ˈ m ɜːr z i /
1125-805: Is particularly known for its beaches. All seaside resorts in Jordan are located in Aqaba , the only seaport in Jordan. Seaside resorts of Aqaba include Ayla Oasis and Marsa Zayed in the Tala Bay region. Many seaside resorts are located in Gyeongsang , Jeolla , Chungcheong , Gangwon , Gyeonggi , Incheon , Ulsan and Busan . The following are the main resort towns in Malta : Mexican resorts are popular with many North American residents, with Mexico being
1200-600: The Baltic Sea coastline: At the North Sea coastline: Greece, renowned as a summer destination, features a large amount of seaside resorts. Some of them include: India has a long coastline and hence has numerous beaches and resort towns. Beaches were already a popular tourist destination for the kings and the masses alike especially in South India where the Dravidian Empires built large temples near
1275-715: The English Civil War , it was taken in 1648 by the Parliamentary Army , with the aim of blockading the River Colne during the siege of Colchester . Although described as ruinous in 1768, the earthworks were reused in 1798 as a gun battery for six 24-pounder long guns . The remains of this blockhouse are legally protected by Historic England as a scheduled monument . and are known as the Block House Stone. Fishing grew in importance on
1350-764: The Galapagos Islands in Ecuador . Spanish resorts are popular with many European and world residents. Notable resorts on the mainland and islands include: Some examples of Ukrainian seaside resort towns are: The United Kingdom saw the popularisation of seaside resorts , and nowhere was this more seen than in Blackpool . Blackpool catered for workers from across industrial Northern England , who packed its beaches and promenade . Other northern seaside towns (for example Bridlington , Cleethorpes , Morecambe , Scarborough , Skegness , and Southport ) shared in
1425-662: The Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea . Most tourists come from the United States and European countries. Other resorts include: Italy is known for its seaside resorts, visited both by Italian and European tourists. Many of these resorts have a history of tourism which dates back to the 19th century. Resorts include (among many others): There are seaside resorts in Honshu , Shikoku , and Kyushu , but Okinawa
1500-441: The 12th or 13th century, with extensions in the late 15th or 16th. The church and hall are surrounded by a moat that is thought to be the remains of a Danish refuge after their defeat by King Alfred at Farnham . In 1547, King Henry VIII built a blockhouse or bulwark at East Mersea, an earthwork fort for up to six guns with a drawbridge . The keepers in the 1570s were two veteran soldiers Henry Jordan and Edmund Martyn. In
1575-494: The 12th or 13th century. The island became popular with smugglers from the 16th to the 19th century. It became a focal point for troops in both world wars , and a number of observation posts can still be found on the island. Tourism remains popular, and there are a number of beach huts and holiday parks on the island. A week-long festival of boat racing, Mersea Week, takes place every summer. The island lies 9 miles (14 km) south of Colchester and 26 miles (42 km) east of
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#17327906078331650-468: The 1850s and 1860s. The growth was intensified by the practice among the Lancashire cotton mill owners of closing the factories for a week every year to service and repair machinery. These became known as wakes weeks . Each town's mills would close for a different week, allowing Blackpool to manage a steady and reliable stream of visitors over a prolonged period in the summer. A prominent feature of
1725-467: The 18th-20th centuries. In the past the resorts have received mostly domestic tourism, however, since the 1990s, following the opening of Polish borders, the international tourism has grown considerably. Notable resorts include: Many European and world tourists visit Portuguese resorts, particularly those on the Algarve and Madeira . Notable resorts include: The Romanian Black Sea resorts stretch from
1800-423: The 1960s, the population has increased considerably, with the population of West Mersea rising from 3,140 in 1961 to 6,925 in 2001. Mersea Island has suffered less from the increased popularity of holidaying abroad when compared to nearby resorts such as Clacton and Southend , predominantly due to its isolated and rural atmosphere, and the continued popularity of sailing. In 2006, more than a thousand locals signed
1875-762: The 540-room Ponce de Leon Hotel and the Hotel Alcazar , and bought the Casa Monica Hotel the next year. Continental European attitudes towards gambling and nudity tended to be more lax than in Britain, and British and French entrepreneurs were quick to exploit the possibilities. In 1863, the Prince of Monaco , Charles III and François Blanc , a French businessman, arranged for steamships and carriages to take visitors from Nice to Monaco, where large luxury hotels, gardens and casinos were built. The place
1950-921: The Danube Delta in the north down to the Romanian-Bulgarian border in the south, along 275 kilometers of coastline. Notable seaside resorts in South America include Búzios , Camboriú , Florianópolis , Fortaleza , Recife and Salvador in Brazil ; Mar del Plata in Argentina ; Piriapolis and Punta del Este in Uruguay ; Easter Island and Viña del Mar in Chile ; Barranquilla and Cartagena in Colombia ; and Guayaquil , Salinas and
2025-517: The East of Ireland developed after the introduction of rail travel. The Dublin and Kingstown Railway introduced day-trippers from Dublin to Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire ) in South Dublin , and the coastal town became Ireland's first seaside resort. Other South Dublin towns and villages such as Sandycove , Dalkey and Killiney grew as seaside resorts when the rail network was expanded. Since
2100-709: The Firth of Clyde have continued to prosper as middle-class commuter towns . Some resorts, especially those more southerly such as Hastings , Worthing , Eastbourne , Bournemouth , and Brighton were built as new towns or extended by local landowners to appeal to wealthier holidaymakers. Others came about due to their proximity to large urban areas of population, such as Southend-on-Sea , which became increasingly popular with residents of London once rail links were established to it allowing day trips from London. The sunshine and sea air were seen by Victorians as beneficial for health, and resorts such as Ventnor owed their growth to
2175-666: The German Seebad . Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists , it may be called a beach resort . Seaside resorts have existed since antiquity. In Roman times, the town of Baiae by the Tyrrhenian Sea in Italy was a resort for those who were sufficiently prosperous. Barcola by the Adriatic Sea in northern Italy with its Roman luxury villas is considered a special example of ancient leisure culture by
2250-595: The Mersea Island Tales Educational Trust obtained a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to set up a First World War exhibition at Ivy Farm, which features a 1916 Sopwith Pup biplane and information about soldiers from Mersea who took part in the war. In 1926, West Mersea became a self-governing urban district , which allowed it to set up a self-contained water and sewer system. Unlike several other coastal resorts,
2325-680: The South Coast Toll Route, involves the payment of toll at the tollgates of the Umtentweni Ramp Toll Plaza, situated on the northern on and off-ramps of the Rethman Drive interchange (Exit 51). Traffic arriving from the north to turn off at exit 51 and traffic joining the N2 S from Rethman Drive must pass through the respective ramp tollgates. The R102 to Melville and Port Shepstone Central serves as
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2400-608: The Strood by volunteers. On Saturday, there is a regatta at West Mersea, followed by a selection of water sports and a firework display at dusk. One of the popular events on Saturday is walking a greasy pole rigged over the side of the hosting Thames sailing barge . The Mersea Island Food, Drink & Leisure Festival takes place in May in the Mersea Vineyard. It combines a food theatre showing various meals, particularly oysters, with local live music and storytelling. The island
2475-471: The all-covering beachwear of the period was considered immodest. By the end of the century the English coastline had over 100 large resort towns, some with populations exceeding 50,000. The development of the seaside resort abroad was stimulated by the well-developed English love of the beach. The French Riviera on the Mediterranean Sea had already become a destination for the British upper class by
2550-410: The beach. There are six camping and caravanning sites on the island, which help contribute towards the island's economy during the summer months. The largest is Cooper's Beach, which caters to 3,000 residents. There is evidence of pre-Roman settlement on Mersea in the form of " red hills " that are the remains of Celtic salt workings. A large Romano-British round barrow near the Strood contained
2625-629: The constant clearing for new housing. The Port Shepstone Country Club is also located in Umtentweni on the banks of the Mzimkhulu River. There is also a public beach, a whale deck and a tennis club. As of 10 February 2006, the coastal resort was officially renamed from "eMtentweni" to "eMthenteni" as part of the government's renaming scheme by the South African Geographical Names Council . However,
2700-533: The county town, Chelmsford . It is the most easterly inhabited and publicly accessible island in the United Kingdom and is one of 43 (unbridged) tidal islands which can be accessed on foot or by road from the British mainland. It is situated in the estuary area of the Blackwater and Colne rivers and has an area of around 7 square miles (18 km ). It is formed by the Pyefleet Channel to
2775-519: The development of Beach Resorts where Europeans used to visit during the harsh and cold winter of Europe. The archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep are also famous for beach resorts. Other beach resorts in India includes: The 'Irish Riviera' on the South Coast of Ireland features the seaside resorts of Youghal , Ardmore , Dungarvan , Cóbh and Ballycotton , all set close to
2850-863: The end of the 18th century. The Strood causeway was also built by the Saxons ; oak piles discovered in 1978 have been dated to between 684 and 702 using dendrochronology . By 950, there was a Benedictine priory at West Mersea and land here was granted to the Abbey of St Ouen in France by Edward the Confessor in 1046. The priory survived until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1542. The Parish Church of St Edmund in East Mersea dates from around
2925-577: The end of the 18th century. In 1864, the first railway to Nice was completed, making the Riviera accessible to visitors from all over Europe. By 1874, foreign residents in Nice, mostly British, numbered 25,000. The coastline became renowned for attracting the royalty of Europe, including Queen Victoria and King Edward VII . In the United States , early seaside resorts in the late 1800s catered to
3000-506: The following articles: Germany is known for its traditional seaside resorts on the Baltic Sea and the North Sea coasts, mainly established in the 19th century. In German they are called Seebad ("Sea Spa") or Seeheilbad , sometimes with Ostsee- or Nordsee- as prefixes for the respective coastline. The most prestigious resorts can be found along the Baltic coastline, including the islands of Rugia and Usedom . They often feature
3075-404: The inn. In the early 19th century, the increased demand for oysters despite a limited supply from the Strood and Pyefleet Channel led traders to get oysters from other places and pass them off as native to the island. By the end of the 19th century, the land around the island had been partially reclaimed, allowing easier access. A police officer for the island was appointed in 1844 and a school
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3150-438: The island did not immediately develop any holidaymaker facilities aside from the beach huts which now stretch along the Esplanade. At the outbreak of World War II, the island became part of the front line for invasion and was heavily fortified. Along with other coastal resorts, the island drew in evacuees from London, though as the war progressed, these were moved to safer settlements further inland. 2000 troops were stationed on
3225-475: The island during this time, with numerous fish weirs being installed. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Dutch and French settlers arrived on the island. Some locals supplemented their income from the oyster trade by smuggling , which remained popular until the mid-19th century. Smugglers favoured the Peldon Rose, immediately north of the Strood, where they would store contraband in the pond alongside
3300-528: The island is via a causeway known as the Strood, carrying the Mersea–Colchester road ( B1025 ). The road can be covered for up to an hour at high tide, especially during spring tides . On average the causeway is flooded at high tide for a week per month. During the 1953 North Sea flood, the Strood was submerged under over 6 feet (2 m) of water, cutting off access to the mainland. In 2012, West Mersea Lifeboats complained to Essex County Council about
3375-420: The island to guard against invasion. A battery of 4.7 inch guns was installed along the beach along with a Battery Observation post and a number of searchlights and pillboxes. Several of these installations survived and can still be seen along the south coast of the island, one of which has been converted into a cafe. After the war, the island suffered from severe winter weather in 1947 which destroyed much of
3450-459: The lack of adequate signage after 13 people had to be rescued from the Strood at high tide in less than 24 hours. A webcam provides a live view of access across the Strood, while a corresponding website lists upcoming high tides and the likelihood of obstructing the road. There has never been a railway to Mersea Island. During the railway mania of the mid-19th century, goods were transported by boat and barge. In 1911, local businessmen proposed
3525-472: The location as being in Suffolk . Between 1870 and 1881 the Rector of East Mersea was the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould . Baring-Gould was the writer of the hymn " Onward, Christian Soldiers " and the author of the novel Mehalah: A Story of the Salt Marshes which was set in Mersea. East Mersea was a site in the Survey of English Dialects in the 1950s. The island retained some rhoticity , which had otherwise died out in eastern England. The Mersea Week
3600-410: The loyalty of returning holidaymakers, resorts such as Blackpool have struggled to compete against the hotter weather of Southern Europe and the sunbelt in the United States . Now, many symbols of the traditional British resort ( holiday camps , end-of-the-pier shows and saucy postcards ) are regarded by some as drab and outdated; the skies are imagined to be overcast and the beach windswept. This
3675-462: The middle and working classes began with the development of the railways in the 1840s; they offered cheap travel to fast-growing resort towns. In particular, the branch line to the small seaside town of Blackpool from Poulton-le-Fylde led to a sustained economic and demographic boom. A sudden influx of visitors arriving by rail motivated entrepreneurs to build accommodation and create new attractions, leading to more visitors and rapid growth throughout
3750-410: The name change has largely been ignored with road signs and usage of the old name "Umtentweni" or "eMtentweni" still being used. Umtentweni is located on elevated land overlooking the Indian Ocean , densely covered by subtropical vegetation that stretches the entirety of the Hibiscus Coast. It is situated between the Mtentweni River to the north, beyond which lies Sea Park and the Mzimkhulu River to
3825-399: The north and the Strood Channel to the west, which connect the Blackwater to the Colne. The much smaller Ray Island lies adjacent to the north while the uninhabited Packing Marsh and Cobmarsh Islands lie to southwest. Most of the area immediately surrounding the island consists of saltmarsh and mudflats, and is an important sanctuary for wading and migratory birds. The island itself sits on
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#17327906078333900-452: The north coast, with its two beaches and a world-famous golf course, Royal Portrush Golf Club . Other Ulster seaside resorts are Newcastle , located on the east coast at the foot of the Mourne Mountains; Ballycastle ; Portstewart ; Rathmullan ; Bundoran and Bangor . Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland and the marina has on occasion been awarded the Blue Flag for attention to environmental issues. The main seaside towns in
3975-441: The opening of Bray Daly Station in 1852, the County Wicklow coastal town of Bray has become the largest seaside resort on the East Coast of Ireland. The town of Greystones , five miles south of Bray, also grew as a seaside resort when the railway line was extended in 1855. Other seaside resorts include Courtown and Rosslare Strand in County Wexford . Ulster has a number of seaside resorts, such as Portrush , situated on
4050-409: The other side of the Colne estuary, including a scheduled service in the summer and a dial-on-demand service in the spring and autumn. The island is used as a setting for several works by Margery Allingham , who spent childhood holidays on the island. These include her first novel, Blackkerchief Dick , published in 1923 when she was 19, and her 1930 novel Mystery Mile , although the plot disguises
4125-410: The oyster fishery, and from the flooding of 1953 , where numerous beach huts were swept out to sea. In 1963, a lifeboat service was launched following an initiative by "Diggle" Hayward who had approached the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) about a lifeboat capability on Mersea. The West Mersea Lifeboat Station operates an Atlantic 85 class lifeboat , the RNLB Just George B-879. Since
4200-407: The oyster trade attracts a significant number of tourists each year, though today the trade is predominantly with Pacific oysters that have been introduced to the area. The Essex oyster fishery is opened by the Mayor of Colchester every September. Many small shops and ice cream businesses serve the tourism on Mersea's seafront. The Two Sugars Cafe is sited on a former World War II pillbox near
4275-427: The remains of a cremated adult in a glass urn, within a lead casket, now in the local Mersea Museum. In 1730, a large mosaic floor was found underneath the Church of St Peter & St Paul at West Mersea and in 1764, Richard Gough discovered further evidence of Roman remains around the church. West Mersea was believed to be a holiday destination for Romans staying at Camulodunum (Colchester). Evidence has shown
4350-415: The resort was the promenade and the pleasure piers , where an eclectic variety of performances vied for the people's attention. In 1863, the North Pier in Blackpool was completed, rapidly becoming a centre of attraction for elite visitors. Central Pier was completed in 1868, with a theatre and a large open-air dance floor. Many popular beach resorts were equipped with bathing machines , because even
4425-414: The sea. Mersea Island in Essex , England was a seaside holiday destination for wealthy ancient Romans living in Colchester . The development of the beach as a popular leisure resort from the mid-19th century was the first manifestation of what is now the global tourist industry. The first seaside resorts were opened in the 18th century for the aristocracy, who began to frequent the seaside as well as
4500-402: The seashore. Beaches are also associated with Hindu rituals where pilgrims from different parts of India go for worshipping rituals. The sun rise and Sunset are also associated with Hindu traditions which are considered sacred my many Hindu communities and there are festivals to celebrate the sunset and sunrise. A major example of such festivals is Chhath Puja . The British Raj also contributed in
4575-426: The second most visited country in the Americas. Notable resorts on the mainland and the Baja Gold Coast and Peninsula include: There are many seaside resorts on the Dutch coast, chiefly in the provinces of North Holland , South Holland and Zeeland , as well as on the West Frisian Islands . A selection includes: Poland's coast on the Baltic Sea includes many traditional seaside resorts established throughout
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#17327906078334650-517: The ships bringing the trade could berth. Another area notable for its seaside resorts was (and is) the Firth of Clyde , outside Glasgow. Glaswegians would take a ferry "doon the watter" from the city, down the River Clyde , to the Firth's islands and peninsulas and beyond, such as Cowal , Bute , Arran , and Kintyre . Resorts include Rothesay , Lamlash , Whiting Bay , Dunoon , Tighnabruaich , Carrick Castle , Helensburgh , Largs , Millport and Campbeltown . In contrast to many resorts, some on
4725-496: The south coast of Ireland . Youghal has been a favoured holiday destination for over 100 years, situated on the banks of the River Blackwater as it reaches the sea. Dungarvan is a seaside market town beneath the mountains in the centre of the Irish south coast. Kinsale is often described as a food lover's and yachting town, with a diverse range of restaurants, as well as a large and active creative community with numerous art galleries and record and book shops. Seaside resorts in
4800-417: The south, beyond which lies Port Shepstone . Umtentweni is situated along the R102 connecting Melville to the north with Port Shepstone Central to the south. The area also lies just off the N2 highway between Marburg to the south-west and Durban to the north-east. Running north-west, Rethman Drive connects the town with St Faith’s and provides access to the N2. The N2 , forming part of
4875-476: The south. The name 'Mersea' is derived from the Old English word meresig meaning 'island of the pool'. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Meresai . The Strood is derived from strod , meaning 'marshy land'. The main industries on Mersea are farming , fishing and servicing the leisure boating and yachting industry. Oysters have been harvested off the island since Roman times , and are shipped worldwide. The extensive history and association with
4950-509: The success of this new concept, especially from trade during wakes weeks . The concept spread rapidly to other British coastal towns, including several on the coast of North Wales , notably Rhyl , and Llandudno , the largest resort in Wales and known as "The Queen of the Welsh Resorts", from as early as 1864. As the 19th century progressed, British working class day-trippers travelled on organised trips such as railway excursions , or by steamer , for which long piers were erected so that
5025-421: The then fashionable spa towns, for recreation and health. One of the earliest such seaside resorts was Scarborough in Yorkshire during the 1720s; it had been a popular spa town since a stream of acidic water was discovered running from one of the cliffs to the south of the town in the 17th century. The first rolling bathing machines were introduced by 1735. In 1793, Heiligendamm in Mecklenburg , Germany
5100-421: The untolled alternative route to the N2. This KwaZulu-Natal location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Seaside resort A seaside resort is a city, town , village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast . Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of an official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements such as in
5175-641: The wealthy, including city businessmen. Cape May, New Jersey became one of the first coastal resorts in the United States, when regular steamboat traffic on the Delaware River began after the War of 1812. Early visitors to Cape May included Henry Clay in 1847, and Abraham Lincoln in 1849. By 1880, Henry Flagler had extended several rail lines southward down the US Atlantic coastline, enticing northern upper-class families south to subtropical Florida. The Florida East Coast Railway brought northern tourists to St. Augustine in greater numbers, and by 1887 Flagler began to build two large ornate hotels in St. Augustine,
5250-465: The west of Ireland are in County Clare ; the largest are Lahinch and Kilkee . Lahinch is a popular surfing location. Like British resorts, many seaside towns in Ireland have turned to other entertainment industries. Larger resorts such as Bray or Portrush host air shows , while most resorts host summer festivals. Israel is a major tourist area. Tourism in Israel is one of the major sources of income, with beautiful beaches, such as those found on
5325-415: Was founded as the first seaside resort of the European continent, which successfully attracted Europe's aristocracy to the Baltic Sea . The opening of the resort in Brighton and its reception of royal patronage from King George IV extended the seaside as a resort for health and pleasure to the much larger London market, and the beach became a centre for upper-class pleasure and frivolity. This trend
5400-481: Was opened in 1871. In the First World War, 320 soldiers came from Mersea Island, of which 50 lost their lives. They are commemorated at the War Memorial at the parish church. Troops were stationed at Mersea Island during the war. In 1916, a Zeppelin crash landed at nearby Great Wigborough to the northwest of the island. The survivors were stationed at Mersea before moving to prisoner-of-war camps. In 2013,
5475-490: Was praised and artistically elevated by the new romantic ideal of the picturesque landscape; Jane Austen 's unfinished novel Sanditon is an example of that. Later, Queen Victoria 's long-standing patronage of the Isle of Wight and Ramsgate in Kent ensured that a seaside residence was considered a highly fashionable possession for those wealthy enough to afford more than one home. The extension of this form of leisure to
5550-662: Was renamed Monte Carlo . Commercial seabathing also spread to other areas of the United States and parts of the British Empire such as Australia , where surfing became popular in the early 20th century. By the 1970s cheap and affordable air travel was the catalyst for the growth of a global tourism market. Since the late 20th century, recreational fishing and leisure boat pursuits have become very lucrative, and traditional fishing villages are often well positioned to take advantage of this. Destin, Florida , for instance, has evolved from an artisanal fishing village into
5625-534: Was used as a holiday destination in Roman Britain for occupants of Camulodunum (Colchester). Fishing has been a key industry on the island since then, particularly oysters , and along with tourism makes up a significant part of the island's economy. The Church of St Peter & St Paul in West Mersea is thought to have existed since the 7th century, while the Church of St Edmund in East Mersea dates from around
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