Every visitor to Whitby sees the great
Whitby Abbey which
dominates the East Cliff of the town and many tourists climb the 199 well worn steps to
take a closer look at the ruins. You can take in a show; climb the famous 199 steps;
browse in the Captain Cook Museum; take in the Dracula Trail guided tour; walk along the
harbour front and watch the deep sea trawlers land their catches or just pick one of the
many panoramic views of Whitby, sit and watch the world go by. Whitby is centrally located
to visit all the places up and down the coast, Scarborough; Goathland (home to the TV
series "Heartbeat"); Grosmont and the Steam Railway; the ancient town of York;
local fishing villages, such as Robin Hoods Bay; Runswick Bay; Staithes and many more
attractions, not forgetting the lovely North Yorkshire Moorlands.
The ancient town of
Whitby has been the scene of the Synod, held at the Abbey of St Hilda; nurtured Caedmon,
the first English poet; has fostered the genius of Capt Cook and his sailing ships, built in
the town; fathered the abilities and bravery of the Scoresby family, the finest sailors
and whalers of their day; hosted authors the likes of the great Charles Dickens and Bram
Stoker author of "Dracula".
Whitby Swing Bridge
joins the two communities East and West of the river Esk together and has been the scene of rivalry
in the earlier part of this century, where gangs of youths would contest the bridge with
" t`other side o` watter dogs ". The original bridge was first mentioned in 1351
and used to lie to the South of the present one, roughly aligned with Baxtergate.
Centuries ago, houses on wooden piles overhung the river above and below the bridge. A
block of early 18th century buildings on the south side was demolished in 1975. The
present swing bridge was built in 1909 and is electrically operated.
Whitby's
past
and present have combined to make it known to millions throughout the
world. Even the darker corners of our town have been immortalised in the classic Victorian
novel "Dracula". The author Bram Stoker, set three quarters of his story around
Whitby and it is still possible to retrace those steps of the undead, taking the
"Dracula Trail Tour".
Whitby's
past
and present have combined to make it known to millions throughout the
world. Even the darker corners of our town have been immortalised in the classic Victorian
novel "Dracula". The author Bram Stoker, set three quarters of his story around
Whitby and it is still possible to retrace those steps of the undead, taking the
Whitby "Dracula Trail Tour".
Whitby Jet is a type of
brown coal, fossilised wood of an ancient tree, similar to our present
day "Araucaria", the monkey puzzle tree. These trees flourished in the
Jurassic period, about 180 million years ago. When the trees died, they
fell into the swamps, rivers or eventually found their way to the sea.
The trees would become waterlogged and sink to the bottom, where they
lay for millions of years. Dead and decaying organisms, mud and detritus
falling on top of the already decaying monkey puzzle tree, causing great
pressure, flattening the trunk and branches, together with chemical
changes, created what we see today, "Whitby Jet"
Frank Meadow Sutcliffe ( 1853
- 1941 ) A nationally and internationally acclaimed pioneering photographer who helped to
develop photography as an art form. Sutcliffe worked in Whitby from the mid 1870`s until
his death. Most of his photographs for which he is now famous, were taken out of season.
They include many of the harbour, fishing boats, children at play and fishermen.
Places of
Interest in Whitby:
Whitby Museum
Whitby Jet
Frank Meadow Sutcliffe
Captain Cook Museum
Whitby Abbey
Abbey Museum
Places of
Interest outside of Whitby:
Heartbeat
Eden Camp
Jorvik Museum York
North Yorks Moors Railway
Castle Howard
Ryedale Folk Museum
