Scarborough Harbour

Summary

A two-bay harbour on the North Yorkshire coast — the South Bay fishing harbour with quayside fish sheds, cobles and keelboats, a working lighthouse, and the Victorian Spa complex above on the cliff.

About this location

Scarborough’s harbour occupies the natural bay south of the headland that divides the town’s North and South Bays. The outer harbour is enclosed by two stone piers — the Vincent Pier and the East Pier — that date from the 17th and 18th centuries. Within the harbour, the fish quay retains working fishing vessels (Yorkshire cobles, keelboats), fish sheds, a harbour master’s office, and the working commercial infrastructure of a small British fishing port.

The old town climbs up from the harbour — narrow yards and passages rising from quayside level to the cliff top. The Spa Complex (1879 Grand Hall, 1839 Saloon) sits at cliff level overlooking the South Bay from the south. The North Cliff carries the castle ruin above the headland. Between harbour and cliff, the Victorian commercial core of the town — St Nicholas Street, Westborough — gives a period shopping street in reasonable condition.

For productions, Scarborough gives a coastal town environment with distinct layers: working harbour at water level, Victorian seaside resort above it, clifftop castle as a backdrop. The combination suits any period from the 1850s to the present. North Yorkshire Council handles filming permits on public land.