A Day Out In Scarborough by Dennis Steel
04th July 2025
In: News, Members' Articles
Day Trip to Scarborough with the M11 Mono
Our Journey to Scarborough
We started our journey from Selby train station to York station, then caught the train from York to Scarborough.
The whole train journey takes 1 hour and 30 minutes – you'd be hard-pressed to manage that by car from our house, given the well-known traffic issues on the A64 road to Scarborough.
We travel to Scarborough regularly by train, as it’s much easier than driving. Parking in Scarborough can be a challenge.
I chose the M11 Mono camera because I knew that York station and the Scarborough seafront are devoid of colour.
York Station
I enjoy taking my camera to York railway station to photograph its elegant Victorian long, curved platforms in various lighting conditions. There are around thirteen platforms, some of which are accessed by a footbridge over the main rail tracks.
York station was built and opened on 25 June 1877. It was designed by Thomas Prosser and William Peachey for the North Eastern Railway (NER). At the time of its opening, it was the largest station in the world.
The station remains a major hub on the East Coast Main Line, connecting London, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, and Manchester.
The Seaside Town of Scarborough
Scarborough is a historic Victorian seaside town with two beaches and a fishing harbour situated between them. In 1626, mineral-rich spa waters were discovered there, leading to Scarborough becoming England’s first seaside resort. By the Victorian era, it had become a fashionable destination for sea bathing and health retreats, further boosted by the arrival of railway connections in the 1840s.
The station is located at the top of the high street, and it’s a downhill walk to the seafront. We like to walk along the South Bay promenade to the North Bay. On the way, we stop at the fisherman’s pier to see what the daily catch is as it’s unloaded from the boats. For me, the area is great for black and white photography.
After a long walk, we head to Winking Willy’s fish and chip restaurant for lunch. It has been serving fish and chips for around 56 years. Inside the restaurant, there’s a picture of Winking Willy, the fisherman. The lady who served us said he was a pirate – though he didn’t look much like one in the picture!
After the meal, we go to the Harbour Bar ice cream parlour. It’s one of the best places in Scarborough to enjoy an ice cream. Their speciality is a lemon top ice cream, and for me, there’s the traffic light jelly – three flavours of jelly, with a scoop of ice cream on top.
The Grand Hotel
The Grand Hotel overlooks the South Bay at Scarborough and opened in 1887.
When it opened, it had:
• 360 rooms – one for every day of the year
• 52 chimneys – one for every week of the year
• 12 floors – one for every month of the year
• 4 towers – one for every season of the year
Now the rooms have been reduced to 280.
Then it’s time to head back to the station, knowing we have the long uphill walk (Cardiac Hill) ahead before the journey home.
The camera used was the M11 Mono with a 35mm f/2 lens
© Dennis W Steel 2025
York Station
York Station Clock
Scarborough - Fisherman's Wharf
Scarborough - Fisherman's Wharf
Scarborough - South Bay
Scarborough - Grand Hotel, South Bay
Scarborough - Winking Willy Fish and Chip Restaurant
Scarborough - Winking Willy
Scarborough - Harbour Bar Ice Cream Parlour
Our Journey to Scarborough
We started our journey from Selby train station to York station, then caught the train from York to Scarborough.
The whole train journey takes 1 hour and 30 minutes – you'd be hard-pressed to manage that by car from our house, given the well-known traffic issues on the A64 road to Scarborough.
We travel to Scarborough regularly by train, as it’s much easier than driving. Parking in Scarborough can be a challenge.
I chose the M11 Mono camera because I knew that York station and the Scarborough seafront are devoid of colour.
York Station
I enjoy taking my camera to York railway station to photograph its elegant Victorian long, curved platforms in various lighting conditions. There are around thirteen platforms, some of which are accessed by a footbridge over the main rail tracks.
York station was built and opened on 25 June 1877. It was designed by Thomas Prosser and William Peachey for the North Eastern Railway (NER). At the time of its opening, it was the largest station in the world.
The station remains a major hub on the East Coast Main Line, connecting London, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, and Manchester.
The Seaside Town of Scarborough
Scarborough is a historic Victorian seaside town with two beaches and a fishing harbour situated between them. In 1626, mineral-rich spa waters were discovered there, leading to Scarborough becoming England’s first seaside resort. By the Victorian era, it had become a fashionable destination for sea bathing and health retreats, further boosted by the arrival of railway connections in the 1840s.
The station is located at the top of the high street, and it’s a downhill walk to the seafront. We like to walk along the South Bay promenade to the North Bay. On the way, we stop at the fisherman’s pier to see what the daily catch is as it’s unloaded from the boats. For me, the area is great for black and white photography.
After a long walk, we head to Winking Willy’s fish and chip restaurant for lunch. It has been serving fish and chips for around 56 years. Inside the restaurant, there’s a picture of Winking Willy, the fisherman. The lady who served us said he was a pirate – though he didn’t look much like one in the picture!
After the meal, we go to the Harbour Bar ice cream parlour. It’s one of the best places in Scarborough to enjoy an ice cream. Their speciality is a lemon top ice cream, and for me, there’s the traffic light jelly – three flavours of jelly, with a scoop of ice cream on top.
The Grand Hotel
The Grand Hotel overlooks the South Bay at Scarborough and opened in 1887.
When it opened, it had:
• 360 rooms – one for every day of the year
• 52 chimneys – one for every week of the year
• 12 floors – one for every month of the year
• 4 towers – one for every season of the year
Now the rooms have been reduced to 280.
Then it’s time to head back to the station, knowing we have the long uphill walk (Cardiac Hill) ahead before the journey home.
The camera used was the M11 Mono with a 35mm f/2 lens
© Dennis W Steel 2025
York Station
York Station Clock
Scarborough - Fisherman's Wharf
Scarborough - Fisherman's Wharf
Scarborough - South Bay
Scarborough - Grand Hotel, South Bay
Scarborough - Winking Willy Fish and Chip Restaurant
Scarborough - Winking Willy
Scarborough - Harbour Bar Ice Cream Parlour
Comments
By Alan Humphries: Thank you Dennis for a really nice piece which together with the images brought back many memories of my visits to Scarborough.
It is many years since I was there, the most memorable being arriving by sea with my ex partner Anje having crossed the North Sea from Harlingen.from the Netherlands.
Your piece also transports me back to my working days as a shipbroker when from time to time we chartererd ships to carry timber from the Baltic to Scarboroug, where they discharged in the Fish Dock.h
Your choice of monochrome really does justice to York Railway Station.
My favourite image probably won't surprise you - it is the one of the Fis Dock with the trawler "Investore in the foreground. By Cled Lewis: “A grand day out” as someone said, I was able to imagine it all including the fish and chips which I bet were superb and the ice cream.
The pictures of York station are perfect for black and white and two in particular, the roof detail and the clock are my favourites.
Although we lived in Yorkshire for fifteen years I never visited Scarborough.
My loss. By Dennis Steel: Many thanks Alan for your comments and I am glad you like the article By Keith: Superb set of images. Great view of the fabulous York Station. I stayed in the Hotel accessed from the platform when visiting the NRM, and it matches the Grand Hotel for splendour! A day trip to Winking Willy would be good! By Andrew Cunningham: Thank you Dennis... I enjoy taking photographs in (and of) train stations. So I appreciated seeing your pictures of York train station and learning a bit about it. Your photographs of the station drew me into its atmosphere! By Dennis Steel: Many thanks for your kind words Cled and Keith.
The M11 is an amazing camera because of its ability to collect shadow details.
All the pictures in the article where taken at -2/3 EV By Ken Davis: Good work Dennis, these show how effective the Monochrom is. I find the 'colour' M11 has a similar ability to recover shadow detail. By Dennis Steel: Many thanks Andrew for your comments. You could spend all day in York Station with your camera, so much to photograph.