FOCUS Magazine May June 2017

Bleak House, Broadstairs
Osborne House, Isle of Wight
Trivia
e e tongue tongue twister twister “She “She sells sells sea-shells on on the the sea-shore” is reputed
reputed to be to inspired have been by Mary inspired Anning. by Mary
is
Anning.
Margate Shell Grotto
Although not strictly Victorian, an oddity discovered at the
dawn of Victoria’s reign is the Margate shell grotto, which became
a popular destination for people visiting the seaside resort
of Margate. First discovered by a father and son attempting to
dig a duck pond, the grotto includes 70 feet of winding underground
passages and 4.6 million shells. ese include cockles,
whelks, mussels and oyster shells forming various patterns of
mosaics, with images of the Tree of Life, gods and goddesses,
the horns or a ram, a three-pointed star, as well as the sun and
the moon.
The Classic English
Seaside Town
The town of Seahouses in Northumberland was originally
built as a fishing community comprising small cottages or
‘seahouses’. With the coming of the railroad in the late 19th
century, two stations were built to accommodate the
booming fishing trade and the station at the end of the line
by the sea became officially known as Seahouses.
In 1838, the Grotto opened as a public attraction, and so it remains
to this day. What was the purpose of this mysterious subterranean
passageway? e question remains open but
suggestions have included an 18th or 19th century rich man’s
folly, a prehistoric astronomical calendar or even connections
with the Knights Templar or Freemasonry. Or was it just a
Victorian hoax? Carbon dating would prove expensive and has
yet to be carried out, however there is an argument for leaving
the mystery and letting visitors create their own stories for this
amazing place.
e shell grotto is open every day from March to October, and
only at weekends in the winter.
Osborne House, The Isle of Wight
Even the real Queen Victoria was not immune to the pleasures
of this newfound holiday pastime. Writing in her diary in 1846
she remarked: “We drove down to the seashore and remained
there for an hour playing with the children who were so happy.”
Of course, it was not just any seashore just as Queen Victoria
was no ordinary woman! Osborne House was Victoria’s country
retreat on the Isle of Wight and had a private beach where the
royal family could enjoy themselves away from the public gaze.
is private beach, once so exclusive, was finally opened to the
public in 2012. One of the many delights the public are now
privy to includes Queen Victoria’s bathing machine. A bathing
machine might seem a strange contraption to the post-1960s liberated
bikini wearing folk of the 21st century, but back then it
was the perfect solution to the impropriety of wearing bathing
suits. e whole contraption was run into the sea so that
The town’s fishing history means that you can easily find
some of the best fish and chips at the seaside. One
particular favourite is Neptune’s, serving traditional fish and
chips and ice cream in the town centre.
The town is centred on the harbour where boats take
visitors to the Farne Islands, home to one of Europe’s most
important bird sanctuaries as well as a massive seal colony. If
you time your trip right you could catch the sight of baby
seals being born.
Brighton Palace Pier
Slate Hall riding centre offers lessons, treks and horseback
beach rides along Bamburgh and Seahouses beaches with
views of the Farne Islands.
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