Inside Skegness before it became one of the 'worst' UK seaside towns: Spellbinding historic photos capture the resort's yesteryear glory days
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Skegness was slammed as the UK's worst seaside town in a 2023 Which? survey and didn't fare much better in 2024, when it came fifth from bottom.
These fascinating historical photographs will transport you back to the town's heyday when it was one of Britain's most alluring seaside destinations.
The earliest picture dates to 1900, with Skegness having evolved from a small village with fewer than 400 residents in 1850 to a tourist mecca, thanks in part to the opening of the town's railway station in 1873.
Skegness was sadly heavily bombed during the Second World War but regained popularity as a seaside resort in the 1950s. Like many British seaside spots, it lost out during the 1970s and 80s as UK holidaymakers increasingly opted to holiday abroad over staying at home.
Today, despite a reputation as the Las Vegas of Lincolnshire, 'Skegvegas' still manages to attract millions of visitors a year and MailOnline Travel noted its 'unique appeal' on a recent visit.
From the first UK Butlin's camp to elephants 'playing cricket' on the beach, these spellbinding images reveal the foundations of Skegness's popularity... before its reputation hit choppy waters.
The picture above shows Skegness Pier in 1900. It was built in 1881 and was England's fourth longest at the time, stretching to 1,844ft/562m. Skegness Town Council explains: 'It was not until the railway reached Skegness in 1873 that visitors began arriving in large numbers'
This image captured Skegness Parade seafront in 1900. Skegness Town Council reveals: 'Work began in the late 1870s building wide, tree-lined streets, promenades and gardens.' It adds that the town's population had swelled to over 2,000 in 1900, growing from just over 400 in 1850
Young women are photographed playing cricket on the beach in 1926. Seasidehistory.co.uk reveals that 'there was a huge jump in the number of people able to take a holiday by the sea' in the 1920s
Bathers are captured using parasols to shade themselves from the sun at Skegness beach in 1926. Cotswold Outdoor explains: 'One of the most striking features of Skegness Beach is its expansive stretch of soft, golden sand'
Three elephants from the renowned Power's Dancing Elephants troupe entertain holidaymakers in 1936 with a game of cricket on Skegness Beach. The elephants performed at the now-demolished Hippodrome Theater in New York from 1905 to 1923 and came to Skegness as part of an 11-year European tour
The Butlin's in Skegness was the first of Billy Butlin's iconic holiday camps. It opened in 1936 - and pictured above is its open-air pool. An advertisement from the time says tourists could 'meet the sun on the east coast' at the 'luxury' camp
This image depicts beauty queens from nine countries arriving at Butlin's for a carnival event in 1937. They travelled on a special train dubbed the 'Beauty Queen Express'
In this photo, taken in 1938, a Butlin's worker delivers a cup of morning tea to a chalet guest. The morning tea service was an optional paid extra for guests. An advert for Butlin's describes the chalets as 'cosy' with 'electric light, carpeted floors, running water, bath and first-class sanitary arrangements'
Holidaymakers are captured enjoying the Butlin's boating pond in 1939 in this image. The camp was marketed as being affordable for working people
Guests are photographed using 'sociable cycles' to explore Butlin's holiday camp in 1939. A 'sociable cycle' was designed so two riders could sit side by side
After the Second World War started, Butlin's was requisitioned as a Royal Navy shore establishment and became known as HMS Royal Arthur. In this 1940 image, Navy recruits are photographed putting up hammocks at the camp
This photo shows Skegness Beach in 1950. Although the town was heavily bombed in WWII, its tourism industry was revived. Skegness Town Council explains that the 1950s was the 'age of the motor car', with visitors travelling to the coast 'under their own power instead of the trains'
In this July 1955 image, guests at Butlin's are entertained by redcoat performers on a transport trailer. Butlin's' famous redcoat entertainers are still an integral part of the holiday camp today
This photo was taken at a rehearsal for an event organised by the Skegness Hoteliers Association in 1969. The landlady performers pictured were 'known locally as the "Heavy Brigade"'
A holidaymaker is photographed jumping into Butlin's' open-air pool in 1982. The slogan on the building behind reads 'Our true intent is all for your delight', a line borrowed from the Shakespeare play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A family are pictured having dinner in their self-catered accommodation in this photograph taken at Butlin's in 1982. The launch of cheap package holidays abroad to destinations such as Spain saw seaside resorts such as Skegness lose out on visitors
This image depicts a man selling papers outside a Butlin's dining room in 1982. A roast lunch cost £2.25 at the time, including dessert
Although Skegness (above, present day) was named as one of the worst seaside towns in the UK in 2024, it's still a popular holiday destination, with between three and four million visitors annually
Daily Mail
