To the Sea by Train: The Golden Age of Railway Travel is a trip down the tracks of time to the great British seaside

The British seaside holiday began with the railways. Before the mid 19th century and the tentacle-spread of rail to the country’s outer edges, the coastline was, apart from a few Georgian watering holes, inhabited mainly by fishermen. A century later, sand and shingle was decked with resorts, spas, piers and promenades.