CHECKPOINT 3
West Sandgate: From Merchants Row, head back out onto Eastborough and make your way down to the bottom of the hill towards the cobbled street opposite the traffic lights
THINGS TO DO
As you walk down the lower part of Eastborough, check out some of the independent shops and businesses, including:
-
Past Times Picture Studio - dress up in vintage clothing for your own photoshoot
-
The Fossil Shop
-
Purple Pup - the best doggy shop in town
-
The Joke Shop - opened in 1996, one of Eastborough's oldest businesses
-
Fish & Chips - Molly's, Leeds Fisheries, Princess Fish Shop, Lifeboat Fish Shop (a favourite with locals)
-
Antiques - there are 3 antiques and collectibles shops on this part of the street
-
The Train Shop
-
Maritime Museum - learn about Scarborough's seafaring history (free entry)
Lower Eastborough
Pentecostal Church: a church has been on this site since the early 1700s, with the current building redeveloped in 1868 and opened as Eastborough Congregational Church. The wording above the entrance reads “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving”
Victorian tombs have been discovered underneath the church, along with several 12th Century artefacts.
Sadly, it is only inhabited by pigeons these days, but it once was a great building in the town.
West Sandgate - a medieval marketplace
This narrow cobblestone street was actually a stream in the 1100s, known as the Damgeth (or Damyet/Damyot). This natural spring formed a route down to the beach, and as such was clustered with the earliest settlement.
The street now guides you to one of the town's most ancient pubs, currently known as Wilsons, but formerly named The Leeds Hotel. It is thought to have been constructed as far back as 1692.
Just opposite to Wilson's pub, you'll encounter the butter cross, an emblematic marker of the presence of a medieval market. It is believed there were 5 butter crosses in Scarborough, however this is the only remaining one. This market was held each Saturday in Princess Square until the indoor market building was commissioned on Market Street in 1855.
However, this is not the original butter cross, the gothic style crocket leaves engraved along the sides suggest it is a remnant of a demolished medieval church. Gothic architecture was popular prior to King Henry VIII's rampage against Catholicism, and it is believed that this pillar was relocated to replace the original medieval cross.
West Sandgate was another route favoured by smugglers, as it is one of the most direct routes up to the Castle area, and Paradise - a smugglers safe haven we'll visit later in the tour (Checkpoint 10).
CHECK POINT NAVIGATION
This section will be repeated at the bottom of every check point page, so if you want to skip ahead, or go back at any time, you can easily get to the check point page of your choice by clicking the corresponding button.
Lost your map? No problem - just download the pdf document again using the map icon, or view and download the map image at the bottom of the navigation section.
