a seaport and market-town, municipal and parliamentary borough of England, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, 39 miles N.E. of York, and 217 N. of London. It occupies a fine situation, on the shore of the German Ocean, along a semicircular bay, protected on the N. and N.E. by steep heights, crowned by the old castle. Originally built close to the sands, it now extends for some distance up the slope behind, the houses rising in successive tiers one above another. The upper and more modern part of the town is very handsome, consisting of broad, well-paved streets, lined with elegant houses. There are many public buildings, some of which are remarkable for beauty. Among them are a town-hall, jail, and custom-house. Very conspicuous is a fine circular edifice, in the classical style, recently built for the accommodation of a museum, which forms a valuable collection, illustrative of the geology and natural history of the county. The ancient but now dilapidated castle stands on a cliff from 300 to 330 feet high, and is still used for barracks; and protects the town and harbour by means of three batteries. It formerly covered 19 acres, and was accessible only from the west. The massive square keep, and parts of the gate barbican, and ditch, are still to be seen. The old church of St Mary occupies the site of a former Cistercian priory, of which some portions of the crypt and one of the ancient towers still remain. Christ Church is a fine Gothic edifice, erected in 1828. The Established Church have also a chapel of ease; and there are other places of worship belonging to various sects, of Methodists, Baptists, Independents, Quakers, Christian Brethren, and Roman Catholics. Education is well provided for by a grammar school, with thirty scholars in 1854, a Lancasterian school, national schools, and others of various kinds. There are also two public libraries, and a mechanics' institution; besides the museum already mentioned. The charitable institutions comprise—almshouses, a poor-house, and a seamen's hospital. Scarborough owes its prosperity chiefly to its mineral wells and to its advantages for sea-bathing, which render it a favourite place of resort for summer visitors. There are two mineral springs, the north and the south, differing somewhat in their chemical ingredients. They have long been in high repute as beneficial to invalids. A large castellated saloon has been erected at the place where these springs rise, at the foot of the cliff near the sea. This place is separated from the town by a ravine 400 feet wide, which is spanned by a handsome iron bridge of 4 arches, supported on piers 76 feet high. The amusement and recreation of the visitors are provided for by a theatre, assembly-rooms, news-rooms, and public gardens. Ship-building is largely carried on at Scarborough, as well as the manufacture of ropes and sail-cloth; but these branches of industry have in recent times considerably declined. The herring fishery, during its season, employs many boats belonging to the town, and there are several coal mines in the neighbouring country. The harbour is of some importance, as it is the only good one between Whitby and the mouth of the Humber. It has two piers; and though the entrance is narrow, it is commodious and safe. Scarborough was made a bonding port in 1841; it has bonding warehouses and a lighthouse. Some foreign trade is carried on, chiefly with the Baltic, Holland, and Portugal; iron, timber, hemp, flax, wine, and brandy, being the chief articles imported. There is also some coasting trade. The number of sailing vessels registered at the port, December 31, 1857, was 299; tonnage, 36,470; of steam vessels, 3; tonnage, 452. In that year the number of vessels that entered the port, all sailing vessels, was 330; tonnage, 20,788; those that cleared, also all sailing vessels, were 46; tonnage, 2,271. Scarborough is governed by a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 12 councillors; and returns 2 members to parliament. The town is believed to be ancient, on account of its name, which is Saxon, signifying the fortified rock; and it was at one time strongly defended by walls, moat, and earthen ramparts. The castle must have been a place of great strength before the use of gunpowder; and even during the civil war it held out for a long time against the parliamentary forces. It was dismantled under the Commonwealth, but partially repaired again at the time of the rebellion in 1745. Pop. (1851) 12,915.