The popularity of the seaside holiday grew out of the 18th century fashion for the nobility and well-off to visit the spa resorts that sprang up all over the country - from Tunbridge Wells and Bath to Bruxton, Harrogate and Scarborough - principally for medicinal purposes. By 1815 about 175 spa centres had been opened in the country. Many had extensive facilities, often paid for by public subscription, including assembly rooms, theatres, landscaped gardens and coffee houses, as well as a range of special baths, pump-rooms and bath-houses.

In the wake of this there rapidly developed hotels and lodging-houses, retailers of food and clothes, the services of doctors and lawyers, transport businesses, schools, domestic housing and sellers of trinkets and momentoes.