Cliff Bridge, Scarborough

[2] With the discovery of spa waters in Scarborough in the 17th century, the southern part of the town began to receive thousands of visitors.

However, although it was easy to access the Spa from the South Bay seafront, a steep descent was required to reach it from the St Nicholas Cliff area of the town.

[3] To give access to original "Spaw" and its mineral spring, the new Cliff Bridge Company was formed in 1826 to lease the Spa from the corporation to maximise its commercial potential by erecting an elegant iron footbridge to span the chasm of the valley from St Nicholas Cliff to the Spa.

[4] An opening ceremony was held on 19 July 1827, during which a mail coach was pulled by horses at high speed across the bridge.

For regular users, season tickets were available allowing unlimited access to the bridge and Spa for one, two or four week periods.