How the August bank holiday has evolved from 1908 to now

If bank holidays were to be awarded a medal, the August bank holiday would get a gold. 

Decidedly the best bank holiday, the August bank holiday is the last designated day off the nation gets before Christmas and Boxing Day – and it couldn’t come at a better time. 

It allows us to get away for one last slice of summer, but can also be bittersweet as it often means school holidays are coming to an end. 

While the heat may have dwindled back to regular British summertime temperatures, despite the short but intense mini-heatwaves we received in June and July, the sun is expected to be out this weekend across the UK and we’ll be sure to be making the most of it.

It seems Brits have always revelled during August’s three-day weekend, at least according to the images in the gallery above.

The collection of images are from Ancestry, and captures holidaymakers taking time off in various seaside towns in the UK. These show how the classic seaside getaway has evolved over the past century, from floating on deck chairs in Brighton to camping in caravans in Clayton-on-Sea. 

Click through the gallery above to see how the August bank holiday have evolved from 1908 to now.