The Unknown History of British Seaside Resorts
Hidden Histories
- Date
- Tuesday, 2 Feb 2027
- Time
- 7pm
- Register for event
- Crowdcast
About this event
Grab your bucket and spade and join Boundless for a nostalgic trip back to the golden age of the British seaside, when donkey rides, sticks of rock and days on the beach were at the heart of the great British holiday.
Historian Kathryn Ferry takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of our much-loved seaside resorts, uncovering the surprising stories, curious customs and unexpected characters that shaped our coastal holidays.
Discover how seaside trips first began as a medical prescription, long before fish and chips and ice cream became holiday favourites. Find out why our ancestors dressed in their Sunday best to sit on the sand, how Victorian bathing rules kept men and women apart, and why some resorts even employed policemen in rowing boats to maintain order in the water!
Along the way, Kathryn will reveal the pitfalls of Victorian seaside accommodation, the surprising hustle and bustle of a day at the beach and the story behind the extraordinary bathers’ strike in Eastbourne in 1929.
Whether you have fond memories of traditional family holidays or simply love discovering the hidden stories behind familiar places, this is a wonderful opportunity to rediscover the British seaside and its wonderfully eccentric past.
Stay tuned on the night to be in with a chance of winning a copy of Kathryns book.
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About the Author
Kathryn Ferry
Dr Kathryn Ferry is a historian with a passion for the British seaside. Her fascination began with beach huts twenty years ago and she has since written widely about our seaside’s architectural and cultural history. In 2016 she wrote the official history of Butlin’s for its 80th anniversary and her latest book, Twentieth Century Seaside Architecture, was published in 2025.
Kathryn has appeared on BBC programmes including Coast, Villages by the Sea, Who Do You Think You Are?, Countryfile, The One Show and Inside the Factory. She is also a regular radio contributor and has presented her own BBC Radio 4 programme.
Kathryn is chair and co-founder of the Seaside Heritage Network, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and editor of The Georgian Group magazine. Based in West Sussex, she can often be found walking the seafront with her family and Juno the whippet.
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