There’s something distinctive about the architecture in British seaside towns, particularly those that came to prominence in the Victorian and Edwardian periods – rows of grand villas abound.

As the traditional British seaside holiday declined (mostly due to the availability of low cost trips to continental Europe – where guaranteed hot sunny weather replaced the risk of a week in the rain, potentially trapped in a caravan, or a hostile Bed & Breakfast), so a lot of the beautiful and traditional buildings have similarly fallen into disrepair. Without the tourism, the money to run and maintain such places was lost. The building in the centre rear of today’s picture has become home to both pigeons and gulls, but with no sign of human occupancy (or window glass, for that matter). It’s a shame that these places are not in use, but I don’t think a lot of UK resorts currently attract the people who could afford to renovate such properties back to glory. Perhaps in time they will.

It’s odd to think that, if you could uproot these buildings to somewhere in central London, they would probably be worth millions.

Olympus OM-10 & G.Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 on Ilford FP4+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 @ 20° 10mins.

Taken on 2 August 2024