Historic England publishes new book of English seaside photographs
Montague Grahame-White s steam yacht Alacrity, Brownsea Island, Dorset April 1933.
LONDON
.- A new Historic England book, published today, illustrates Englands rich seaside heritage as few holidaymakers ever see it from the air.
Englands Seaside Heritage from the Air, written by Historic Englands tourism history expert Allan Brodie, features over 150 aerial photographs of Englands best-loved seaside resorts.
The images were taken between the 1920s and the 1950s, when Englands coastal destinations were nearing the peak of their popularity. The images form part of the Aerofilms Collection, held by the Historic England Archive.
Photo of Burnham-On-Sea in 1932 featured in new seaside heritage book
A photo of Burnham-On-Sea in 1932 is featured in a new book of images that show England’s busy seaside resorts during their heyday during the 20th Century.
The aerial photos can be seen in the new book England’s Seaside Heritage from the Air, written by Historic England’s tourism history expert Allan Brodie.
Burnham’s photo shows the beach paddling pool that was built on the beach by a local couple in 1921 as a gift of thanks for the safe return of their five sons from World War One. It was removed in 2010 by the district council due to safety concerns and costly repairs.
Advertisement
Thanks to magnificent men in their flying machines, we can see the coastal England of yesteryear from a mesmerising perspective.
New book England s Seaside Heritage from the Air, written by Historic England s tourism history expert Allan Brodie, features over 150 photographs of England s best-loved seaside resorts.
The pictures were taken between the 1920s and 1950s and are courtesy of the Aerofilms Collection, created by pioneering aerial survey company Aerofilms Ltd, which was formed in 1919 by First World War veterans.
Brodie said that the lockdown made delving into the Aerofilms Collection, acquired by Historic England in 2007, all the more exciting.
He said: While writing this book, locked down and unable to visit the seaside, it was a pleasure to wander along England s coast via the thousands of images in the collection. The photographs in the book hopefully capture the joys of our coastal resorts, including some fascinating features that alas no longer surv
BBC News
Published
Photos taken from an aeroplane show England s busy seaside resorts and towns during their heyday during the 20th Century.
image copyrightHistoric England Archive / Aerofilms Collection
image captionThe Pier, Eastbourne, East Sussex, May 1931
The images are part of the Aerofilms Collection, held by the Historic England Archive.
image copyrightHistoric England Archive / Aerofilms Collection
image captionThe Midland Hotel, Swimming Stadium and Central Pier, Morecambe, Lancashire, August 1949
Outdoor pools and entertainment facilities were popular with millions of holidaymakers in places likes Blackpool, Weston-super-Mare and Burnham-on-sea.
image copyrightHistoric England Archive / Aerofilms Collection
image captionBlackpool Tower and the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, Lancashire, July 1920