By a Cold, Dark Sea

[In A Dark Light]

Bit of a tangent here, inspired by the following BBC article:

BBC - Culture - The dark side of the British seaside

The dreary, downtrodden seaside resort is a staple of weird fiction, cropping up everywhere from Lovecraft to Campbell (and no doubt from the pens of many less well known writers), but when did this tradition begin?

It would be tempting, perhaps, to link its origins with the gradual downturn in fortunes for Britain's seaside resort towns, but one only has to look at something like 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth' to see that it is an archetype neither restricted to the coast of Britain, nor the latter half of the twentieth century.

I'd be interested in hearing the thoughts of others on this matter. Perhaps someone round these parts can pinpoint exactly when this type of story truly began.