A Visitor's Guide To Whitby Located On The North Yorkshire Coast

By Paul D Teasdale

Whitby is an ancient fishing port, nestled within steep cliffs, and located on the North Yorkshire coast. Upon the East Cliff you can find Saint Mary's Church and Whitby Abbey, also referred to as Saint Hilda's Abbey, both of which look out high over the town and offer some spectacular views. You can visit these magnificent monuments by taking Whitby's famous 199 steps up the side of East Cliff. These steps are accessible from Church Street down in the town.

Whitby is a maze of narrow streets some of which are still cobbled. Smooth paving stones run parallel through the cobbles where cart wheels would have once run. The east and west sides of the town are joined by a swing bridge which is over 100 years old. Opened in 1909 the bridge still operates to this very day in order to let boats and ships pass through.

You don't need to walk for far through the town before you come across the term "Whitby Jet". Whitby Jet is a gemstone formed from the remains of fossilised trees dating back to the Jurassic period. It is only found within a seven and a half mile stretch of the Yorkshire coast that's centred around Whitby. When mined the Jet is carved in to jewellery and ornaments, and although it's totally black, when polished it produces an excellent shine.

Whitby has also been made famous by the Victorian author Bram Stoker who created the Gothic novel Dracula having based parts of his novel in Whitby. This has led to Whitby Gothic Weekend which is currently held twice yearly. It's claimed that Whitby Gothic Weekend is now one of the most popular Gothic festivals around the world and attracts people from far and wide.

Other notable visitor attractions in Whitby include a scale replica of Captain Cook's ship Endeavour. The ship makes regular sailings throughout the year providing trips around the beautiful Yorkshire coastline. If sailing is not your thing then why not catch a ride on the steam bus. Built in 1931 by Sentinel Waggon Works, and called Elizabeth, the bus has a huge chain running from the steam engine at the front to the wheels at the rear to provide drive. It was one of the very last buses to be propelled this way before drive shafts took over.

A trip to Whitby isn't complete without visiting the Magpie Cafe. This large black and white building, originally a Merchant's House built in 1750, is located in the historic harbour. The Magpie Cafe tends to stand out from other cafes in Whitby as, due to its popularity, large queues build up outside as people wait for a table to become available inside.

Paul Teasdale is a born and bred Yorkshire lad. Read this article and others at Paul's website which is dedicated to promoting all things Yorkshire. Please visit Discover Yorkshire to find out more.