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However, in the period after the Restoration of 1660, when life, certainly for the rich, took a much less serious turn, the pursuit of health and enjoyment for their own sake became all the rage. It was during this period that the spa towns of Bath and Tunbridge Wells in the South, and Scarborough and Harrogate in the North, became firmly established as centres of fashion, providing accommodation and recreation for the aristocracy and gentry. It was not long before merchants, tradesmen and professional men were also enjoying the pleasures which these places offered. The seaside was a natural development from the spa towns, especially as the benefits to be obtained from sea air and sea bathing became more widely advertised. As early as the 1730’s, Brighton was developing a sea-bathing season. Royal patronage, particularly of Weymouth by George III and then Brighton by the Prince Regent, inevitably boosted the popularity, not only of these places but also of the seaside in general.

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