They are the towns that in decades past were hotspots of tourism and culture, but which have become dark emblems of decline.
Blackpool, once the sparkling jewel of Britain’s seaside resorts, is a hub of deprivation where the life expectancy for men is the lowest in the country.
In Hastings, where huge numbers of people are now economically inactive because of long-term illness, locals once took pride in their stunning seafront and thriving fishing industry.
In Coventry – once one of the world’s leading car-making hubs – a population explosion fuelled by immigration has put huge pressure on services.
And Bradford is, according to a recent study, the second most miserable place to live in the UK – despite being this year’s City of Culture.
With all of these locations, pictures and videos reveal both how they looked in their heyday, and how they appear today to visitors and locals alike.
Blackpool
Fencing seen in front of abandoned shops in Blackpool, as the town’s famous tower stands in the background
A view of Blackpool last year. The town was once thriving but has been in the doldrums for years
Ever since it was furnished with a railway station in the 1840s, Blackpool was the go-to place for Britons looking for a holiday by the sea.
By the 1890s, more than 250,000 people would visit every year.
Throwback photos show the beach and promenade packed with Victorian holiday-makers.
And an image captured from above in 1939 shows how little had changed in terms of Blackpool’s enormous popularity well into the 20th century.
In the early 1950s, the town’s opera house was blessed with two performances by American crooner Frank Sinatra, as well as visits by other leading stars.
So when Princess Margaret visited in 1954, the town was still one of Britain’s top destinations.
Fast forward to today though, and figures show how the life expectancy of men born in Blackpool – 73 – is six years lower than the average in the rest of England.
For women, the figure in Blackpool is 79.5 years compared to 83.2 nationally.
Its local authority is the most deprived in the UK. And it has the highest proportion of alcohol related deaths and the highest rate of serious mental health issues in England.
Large swathes of the town are blighted by boarded up shops, fast food outlets and gambling venues boasting highly addictive slot machines.
Locals walk past derelict shops in Blackpool, December 2024
Impoverished and deprived Blackpool in Lancashire now has the lowest life expectancy for men in Britain. Above: Boarded up businesses in the town centre
The depressing sight on a street in Blackpool, where businesses are struggling
Crowds of holidaymakers and kiosks offering tea, coffee, ices, whelks and cockles and shrimps as snacks on the beach in the seaside resort of Blackpool, Lancashire, August 1983
Holidaymakers are pictured relaxing on Blackpool Beach during a war-time August Bank Holiday in 1943
Holidaymakers sit in deck chairs at the seafront in Blackpool, 1979
Blackpool Tower, the Big Wheel and the resort’s beach seen from the air in 1920
The promenade in Blackpool seen in the late 1890s. The famous tower was completed in 1894
Blackpool residents and visitors seen massed on the sea front in the early 20th century
Participants in the Fylde Ladies’ Bowling League Charity Handicap at Blackpool, September 23, 1936
Balancing on girders high above the promenade, workmen repair Blackpool Tower, August 15, 1934
A street party in Blackpool on the day of the Queen’s Coronation, June 2, 1953
Coventry
In recent years, Coventry has – like much of the rest of the UK – seen a significant increase in its population.
In the year to June 2023, more than 14,000 more people arrived than left, pushing the overall population to around 350,000.
The rise has put added pressure on already over-stretched services, such as GP hospitals, surgeries and A&E departments.
More than one in four Coventry residents were born outside the UK.
In its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s, Coventry was home to the world’s second largest car-making industry.
Known as Motor City, firms such as Jaguar, Chrysler and Peugeot had production hubs there.
Britain’s first production car was made in Coventry by Daimler all the way back in 1897.
Other famous car firms, including Standard Triumph, Alvis, Rootes, Hillman and Morris were all based in the city.
The car industry went into decline partly as a result of rising competition from the US and Europe and the ill-fated decision to merge some of the cities biggest names to form British Leyland, which collapsed in 1975 before being rescued by the state
A climate protest taking place in Coventry on November 6, 2021
Coventry’s recent history is that of Britain in microcosm. A street with shops representing multiple corners of the world is pictured
The Coventry Hill Hotel, which began housing asylum seekers in 2020
A quiet city centre in Coventry during the Coronavirus pandemic, April 2021
A carnival procession passes through Coventry in 1933
Broadgate, Coventry city centre, prior to The Blitz of November 1940. Nearly all of the shops and buildings were completely destroyed
Australian-born British actress and singer Cicely Courtneidge and her husband, British actor and director Jack Hulbert walking their poodle among pedestrians in the rebuilt shopping precinct in Coventry, Warwickshire
A line of almost completed Standard Eight cars at the Standard factory in Coventry, 1953
The Standard car works at Coventry, seen in 1953
Work resumes after ten weeks of strike action at the British Leyland Jaguar plant in Coventry, West Midland, England, on September 6, 1972
Workers assemble chassis in Armstrong Siddeley Motors Factory in Coventry in 1930. In 1913, 12,000 workers employed by 20 different manufacturers were turning out more than 9,000 vehicles a year in Coventry
Hillman was one of Coventry’s key car manufacturers. Rally driver Rosemary Smith is seen above standing on her Hillman Imp in Coventry
Hastings
Like many other seaside towns, Hastings was once a hugely popular resort for Britons seeking domestic getaways before the age of cheap package holidays and easy air travel.
Photos show how the beach and seafront thrived with well-dressed holidaymakers throughout the first half of the 20th century.
By the 1970s though, the decline of domestic tourism was setting in, and would only get worse as overseas travel continued to become easier and cheaper.
Similarly, Hastings is one of the UK’s oldest fishing ports, but the industry has suffered a near-collapse since the 1970s.
Today, life expectancy in the most deprived parts of Hastings are more than a decade lower than places just 25 miles away.
Other figures show how nearly 15 per cent of Hastings residents – the highest figure in Britain – were economically inactive because of long-term illness in 2023.
In 2021, Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, used his annual report to highlight the plight of England’s coastal towns, which he said were ‘overlooked’.
He told how school attendance and attainment are low in Hastings, with high levels of children growing up in poor households.
The 2021 Census also showed that the number of young people aged 16 to 34 in Hastings saying they had bad health was the joint highest in Britain.
People pass boarded up shops in Hastings, March 2024
People pass boarded up shops on March 20, 2024 in Hastings
A sign advertises a job agency in Hastings, March 2024
Locals walk down a street in Hastings in March last year
Two disabled people using mobility scooters on a street in Hastings, March last year
A view of the deserted Hastings town centre recently
The seafront at Hastings, Sussex, circa 1900
Above, a drill instructor is photographed leading children in a workout on Hastings beach in the late 1920s
Workers from the Ticklers Jam factory enjoy the beach at Hastings while on a day out in 1923. Seasidehistory.co.uk explains that ‘the 20s and 30s was a time of huge expansion in the numbers of people taking holidays in the UK’
Some workers from the Ticklers Jam factory in Grimsby, are photographed on a day out on Hastings beach in 1923. Ticklers Jam had one of the largest factories in Grimsby during the 1920s, and supplied the frontlines with jam during WW1
Above, another worker from the Ticklers Jam factory is pictured enjoying a donkey ride on a day out in Hastings in 1923. Donkey rides became popular at the British seaside during the 1800s but conditions could be tough for the animals
A group of children are photographed enjoying the sea at Hastings Beach while on holiday in 1930. The 1930s are described as a ‘heyday’ period for Hastings by hastingshistory.net which explains that there was ‘dancing every night’ at the pier and speedboat rides
Holidaymakers are photographed on a crowded beach in Hastings on a Bank Holiday in 1951. Historic UK explains that ‘in the 1950s and 1960s it was unusual for families to holiday abroad’ and ‘most stayed in the UK’ for vacations
This picture shows Hastings’ promenade and seafront packed with holidaymakers in 1951. The castle ruins can be seen on top of the hill at the back of the image
Hastings is one of the UK’s oldest fishing towns with cod, plaice, sole and skate the most commonly caught fish. In the above picture, taken in 1952, tourists are seen walking past fishermen’s huts, where the fishermen used to store their nets
In this photo, a crowd is seen gathering to see Winston Churchill who travelled to Hastings in 1955. On his visit, Churchill joined the Winkle Club, a group founded by local fishermen. All of the club members were required to carry a winkle and Churchill’s was made of solid gold
This photo shows female holidaymakers competing in a Marilyn Monroe lookalike contest in Hastings in 1958. The women were required to fit inside a cutout of the famous actress’ body
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis was once one of the UK’s best-loved seaside towns.
The resort, in West Sussex, was built up from a small fishing village to become a popular place for Victorian Britons to get away from the bustle of inner cities.
Its railway station – opened in 1864 – made it easily accessible.
And King George V‘s convalescence there in 1929 after a long illness made it even more popular.
His trip led to the addition of ‘Regis’ to the town’s name, after a petition was made to the monarch.
Other famous visitors includedJames Joyce, William Blake, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and composer Eric Coates, the composer behind the tune of BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs.
Stunning throwback photos from the early 20th century show Britons enjoying the beach, playing in the sea and walking smartly-dressed down the promenade.
However, in 2024, consumer group Which? named Bognor as the fourth worst seaside town in Britain.
Homeless people seen in Bognor Regis, West Sussex
The High Street in Bognor Regis West Sussex, July 2021
Bognor was a fishing town until the late 19th century, when it become popular as a seaside destination
Holidaymakers enjoy the beach at Bognor regis in the early 20th century
A young holidaymaker rides the merry-go-round with a Butlins Redcoat at the Butlins Holiday Camp in Bognor Regis, 1985
Everything from the standard of its hotels to the quality of its seafront and shopping facilities was rated poorly.
The 2024 rating was an improvement on 2019, when Bognor was ranked as the joint-worst seaside town along with Clacton-on-Sea.
There are some positives for the town.
The Grade II listed bandstand on the seafront has been restored and its pier, which was built in 1865, has survived storm damage, fires and even the threat of demolition.
The promenade still boasts a miniature train, ice cream kiosks and a mini-golf course.
There is also beautiful Georgian and Regency architecture in the old town, including the Grade I listed Dome House.
Scarborough
A derelict property in Scarborough is seen with metal shutters on its windows
Another seaside resort that was hammered by the decline in domestic holidays is Scarborough.
An emblem of that decline is the once-thriving Grand Hotel, which in more recent years has been hammered by a deluge of poor reviews.
The Grade II-listed building dates back to 1867 and at the time of its completion, it could boast of being the largest brick building in Europe.
It has featured in several films and TV shows, including the BBC’s ‘Little Voice’ and ‘The Royal’ and has space for up to 1,500 guests.
Although Scarborough’s stunning beach still draws visitors, reviews from visitors have slammed it for a ‘general air of grubbiness’.
Another tourist, writing on Trip Adviser, said: ‘The beach was dirty and the whole neighbouring area littered and filthy.
‘We last came here 15 years ago and it’s changed dramatically from a vibrant seaside town to nothing more than a “dump”.’
Another resident, speaking to The Sun, said: ‘You just have to look around you to see it.
‘There’s nothing but vape shops, charity shops, budget shops and boarded up shops.
‘It looks like a town in decline and that’s just through neglect and a major lack of investment.
‘It’s hard to think that this was once thought of as a great resort and things seem to have got worse.’
A local stands outside a shop in Scarborough earlier this month
Derelict shops seen in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, earlier this month
More derelict shops seen in Scarborough, which was once thriving
Looking towards the bandstand and down the sea front at Scarborough, 1945
Bathing belles form a circle on the water’s edge at Scarborough, North Yorkshire, June 1936
Women seen with bows and arrows during an archery session in Scarborough, 1932
Bolton
The situation in Bolton is similar. Once a thriving hub of industry and a regional shopping hub, its town centre is now littered by boarded-up shops and empty office buildings.
It is a far cry from when the Greater Manchester market town thrived during the industrial revolution.
The invention of Samuel Crompton’s spinning mule in the late 18th century, coupled with the damp conditions in the area, saw Bolton become a cotton production giant.
This industry fuelled economic growth and prosperity. So its decline in the 20th century hammered the city and its residents.
Several charity shops seen on Knowsley Street in Bolton, Lancashire
Farmers liming soil in preparation for their crops in Bolton, Lancashire, 1936
Bradford
Meanwhile, according to an annual study by property website Rightmove, Bradford in West Yorkshire is – behind Slough – the second most miserable place to live in the UK.
It is where Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe prowled for victims more than four decades ago, and was also the hunting ground of wicked Stephen Griffiths, nicknamed the Crossbow Cannibal.
He murdered at least three sex workers between 2009 and 2010, and claimed to have butchered and eaten their body parts.
The main high street in Bradford, West Yorkshire. According to an annual study by property website Rightmove, the city is the second most miserable place to live in the UK
Holmewood estate shopping square. Bradford, West Yorkshire
Residents walk past an abandoned nightclub in Bradford, March 2022
Crime in the city saw it dubbed the ‘most dangerous’ in Europe in 2022.
Officials this year estimated that organised crime and serious violence costs the West Yorkshire region £406million a year.
But the city does have extraordinary cultural heritage.
After the Industrial Revolution, Bradford became the so-called ‘wool capital’ of the world.
And the Bronte sisters, writer JB Priestley, artist David Hockney and popstars Zayn Malik and Kimberley Walsh all called Bradford home.
This history is partly why Bradford was named as this year’s UK City of Culture.
One positive and still-thriving cultural asset is Bradford’s myriad Indian restaurants, many of which are award-winning.
A worker adjusts machinery at Knowles Carpet Mill in Bolton, 1957
After the Industrial Revolution, Bradford became the so-called ‘wool capital’ of the world
Weaver at the Albion towel works in Bolton, Greater Manchester, Circa 1930
The Reverend Brother Timothy Campbell-Smith performs a vigorous twist routine at the Crypt Cat Club in Hall I’ Th’ Wood, near Bolton, Lancashire, 1962
Southend
Even areas that remain hugely popular with tourists have suffered declines.
Southend-on-Sea in Essex was, like many other resorts, a luscious holiday hotspot for Britons in the Victorian era and 20th century.
But last summer, MailOnline detailed the ‘explosion’ in violence and sexual crime in the city.
Footage of one incident showed gangs of hooded thugs armed with machetes fighting near the town’s Adventure Island theme park.
Similarly, figures in 2022 showed how a quarter of shops in the town centre lay empty.
Southend’s pier – the longest pleasure pier in the world – has also seen a decline, with nearly 40,000 fewer people visiting in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Locals say there has been an ‘explosion’ in violence and sexual crime in Southend-On-Sea. Above: The High Street in August last year
A Police van seen parked in Southend town centre last summer
People walk along the High Street shopping on May 25, 2024 in Southend-on-Sea
At the end of July last year, a group of youths began fighting with machetes near the Adventure Island theme park
A charity shop is boarded up in Westcliff, a suburb of Southend, ahead of more unexpected unrest during last summer’s protests
Visitors to the Southend funfair enjoying one of the rides, August 11, 1945
Jubilant residents enjoy the Southend Carnival, August 1928
During the carnival in Southend in 1937, thousands of people are seen lining the promenade to see the procession
Bank Holiday crowds boarding boats at Southend, August 1912
