I found this wonderful wording in the loose pages of an Estate Agent's broadsheet brochure amongst my collection of old property sales which date from the early 19th Century until the mid 20th. It shows a certain flamboyance in description and quite a licence to wax lyrically about the seaside town of Skegness, or Skeggy on the Lincolnshire Coast.
Unfortunately any means to identify the specific address or location to which it refers is missing as only 3 rather yellowing and fusty smelling pages have survived. Sadly, the writer also remains anonymous. I hope that his or her talents were not wasted solely on penning sales details.
The only clues are the brief mention of the sale being subject to the residue of a 99 year lease from the 6th April 1879 and with two grandly named parties, Cecil George Assheton Drummond as occupier and Henry Vivian Tippett, Land Agent of Skegness.
Skegness is situate on the southern section of the Lincolnshire Coast.
The North Sea stretches away to the East and North East. To the South East the high land of the Norfolk Coast line is quite visible.
Nature has been lavish in her bounteous treatment of this delightful resort, and long before Science and Architecture began to assist in its adornment and development, Skegness had distinguished patrons from all parts among whom in his boyhood days was the late Lord Tennyson.
Miles of beautiful sandy beach, quite firm and safe, provide a charming natural Promenade for adults and a playground for children. The tide twice in the twenty four hours like a steam roller levels and smoothes the surface of the beach and leaves it delightfully fresh and full of salt when upon which old King Sol throws his benign rays and produces that delightful, mysterious, energising, health giving something called "Ozone" which gives this place its magic power of invigoration and recuperation.
The Golf Links of no mean order have been established at Seacroft, about one mile away. An 18 hole Links runs along the Sand Dunes towards Gibraltar Point, which now enjoys the reputation of being among the best sporting Links in the country and in in the hands of and managed by a strong club. The hard worked City business man journeys to Skegness and does his round of the Links on the glorious Sand Dunes in a bracing and salubrious air and returns a new man.
The Cricket Ground near the railway station is about nine acres in extent and is believed to be as nearly level as any ground in the country. There is a constant flow of matches through the season. It is adorned by rows of pine and sycamore trees forming a border. There is also a capital cycle path encircling the ground, 2 and a quarter laps to the mile. The Pavilion is on the west side with convenient dressing rooms and a refreshment buffet also a good covered-in ladies gallery.
The Pier is perhaps one of the finest erections of its kind in England; it is 614 yards long, stretching across these lovely sands into the sea and at the eastern end of which there is a spacious pavilion, concert room, etc. The visitor has the selection of the Promenade upon the pier or at the sea end of it he can quietly sit and enjoy a view of the ever changing restless sea.
A Steamer runs from the Pier to Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Hunstanton, Cromer, etc. Sailing and rowing boats are there in abundance.
Sanitation. The energetic Urban District Council of this resort has been well and scientifically advised, and has not been afraid to call upon the Ratepayer for a sufficiency of funds to construct and produce a system of drainage which is pronounced to be most thoroughly up to date and complete.
Water. The Earl of Scarborough has just provided a new supply of water for the town by sinking a well to a great depth at Welton le Marsh, where he has succeeded in tapping the same strata from which an abundant supply of the same pure beautiful water is obtained as the famous Willoughby Water which proved such a boon and joy to Lincoln during her period of trial. It is pumped into a reservoir on the high hill at Welton and gravitates to Skegness.
Skegness is near to the charming undulating woodlands of the Wold Country. Tennyson's famous Somersby is within driving distance. The town of Spilsby-of Franklin notoriety-is also near. Skegness and District abounds in copy for the journalist and poet.
As these are Sales Particulars only, we leave the rest and return to the property we are offering which affords the Capitalist or the person desirous of finding a centre to which the busy man and his family may be attracted and enjoy the advantages of the finest beach, sea and bracing climate in England.
Bracing, Breezy, Sunny Skegness.
The clues provided by the named parties are enough for a bit of research suggesting that the property was potentially the whole of the site of The Pleasure Gardens, Seashore and Cafe Dansant in Skegness and bordered by South Parade, The Grand Parade and North Parade and what was being advertised for sale was a Building Lease. In the mid 1800's Skegness was a small fishing village but largely due to the Earl of Scarborough and his Land Agent, the previously mentioned Henry Tippett a master plan was drawn up for large scale development.
As the photographs show the grand scheme was built through making Skegness the pre-eminent resort town on the Lincolnshire Coast within reach, by rail, of the major urban and industrial regions of the English Midlands.
I would be pleased to hear from anyone with more background information about what was obviously an interesting property opportunity in good old Skeggy.
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