Whitby's wonderful harbour

Advantages: Lots of history, plenty to see and do
Disadvantages: Some areas are not suitable for disabled visitors

...Whitby is a small fishing town in the north east of England and in my opinion it is one of the most beautiful picturesque seaside locations in this part of England. The town itself has a real old worldly feel to it with its bustling narrow streets and each week thousands of visitors descend on the town to soak up its charm. At the heart of Whitby is its harbour and without this harbour there is no doubt that Whitby would not be the wonderful place that we find today. The town grew up along the two opposite banks of the River Esk, which is spanned by a swing bridge that was constructed in 1908. It is however known that a bridge has spanned this river since medieval times, whilst the town itself predates that by a further thousand years or more. Whitby's most famous landmark, its abbey was built in the year 657AD. Today, Whitby...

micksheff 01.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Whitby Harbour

Walking in a Whitby Wonderland

Advantages: Spectacular setting, great northern seaside tradition
Disadvantages: Tricky to get round in parts, far too easy to stuff your face!

...Over the years, I've spent many a glorious family weekend sampling the delights of the traditional fishing port of Whitby, a genuine treasure of the North Yorkshire coastline, tantalisingly within reach of Newcastle, York and Scarborough. It's a town rich in maritime tradition, popular with young and old, steeped in history and reeking of premium freshly caught fish and chips. Fittingly in the very place where the famous Dublin born 19th century novelist, Bram Stoker found the inspiration, amongst the haunting cliff-top Abbey ruins, to write his masterpiece of Gothic intrigue Dracula, the local gemstone is Whitby Jet ; dark, opulent and magical in every aspect. All dressed in black for a day at the seaside And believe me, if like us you happen upon Gothic weekend, if you go down to the beach that day you're sure of a big...

paulwilsontastic 05.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Whitby (England)

Whitby

Advantages: Lots for old and young
Disadvantages: none

...Whitby is situated in the North of England and is a seaside resort; it?s classed as a Town and is very busy during the summer season. It is divided really into two parts the East Side, which is the older part, and the West Side, which is the more modern part. These are separated by an old Swing bridge, which regularly opens to let passing fishing boats through. There is a cobbled Street that contains the more Olde Worlde shops, gifts that are a little different, plus a Glass shop that makes ornaments and the famous Lucky Ducks that you can actually watch the glass being blown. Old-fashioned photography studios let you and the family dress in Victorian clothing and have a photograph done in the old sepia style. For Sweet lovers there are two shops that make and sell their own delicious sweets and fudge, everything from original to...

broksababe 27.07.2000 (28.12.2000) · Read review
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Review of Whitby in General

Wish you were in Whitby, but bring a coat ... !

Advantages: Lovely place, nice atmosphere, not over-run by pests
Disadvantages: journey was difficult, was rather too commercial

...Whitby is the quaint, fishing town situated on the North East coast of England. It's full of cobbled streets and sweet fisherman cottages, with streets barely wide enough for a car. Is it a typical seaside slightly tacky fishing town or have I found my perfect seaside destination ... JOURNEY TO THE EDGE OF THE COUNTRY The journey to Whitby was not a long one from my location between Birmingham and Manchester, it was just under 4 hours as we went by the M1 and then past York, through Pickering and over the moors. The motorway was not too busy, however the road through the moor was full of steep climbs, hair-pin turns, sweeping curves and 20 % drops! The journey was very scenic (after we'd got off the M1)! It was a nice journey and the moors were still covered in a few inches of snow. It was a picture of rough and ragged...

wantaratgirl 20.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Whitby (England)

Whitby Abbey

Advantages: Good views. lots of history
Disadvantages: Admission charges

...If you visit the small, picturesque seaside town of Whitby in North Yorkshire the one thing that you cannot fail to see are the eerie ruins of the Abbey, perched high on the hillside overlooking the town. If you decide to explore this little fishing town further you will find reference to Whitby's most famous hero, Captain Cook at every turn, but almost just as prominent, though less well known nationally, are the references to St Hilda. During the 7th century AD the Northumbrian tribe ruled these lands and Lady Hilda, was the niece of Edwin, who was the first Christian King of Northumbria, having been converted to Christianity by the Irish Monks that had settled close to here. Hilda was a formidable character, her Saxon name is even derived from the word "hild" meaning battle, and her uncle appointed her the Abbess of this Abbey. In...

micksheff 09.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire

Fell in love with the seaside

Advantages: Daytime things to do, Attractive, Fish n chips, Friendly locals,
Disadvantages: Remote, Poor transport links, lack of night life after midnight

...What can anyone say about whitby, the small seaside town I was born in, that hasnt been said already - it is truely breath-taking. With its famous Abbey situated high on the cliff top. Why not climb the 199 steps (local folklaw is that you have to count the steps and will never reach the same number of steps upon completion twice) and explore the vistor centre. The habour usually has a replica of a historic boat, as captain cook worked out of the port, moored up for tourists to look around. There is the chance to go on many boating or fishing cruises from the main harbour. One of the boat cruises is to go on board of one of the old lifeoats that was used along the whitby coast. These sightseeing trips generally last 30-45minutes and go outside the three piers that protect the town from the rough north seas and are well priced. There...

mtpatton 18.05.2007 (05.06.2007) · Read review
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Review of Whitby (England)

Whitby - Heartbeat country

Advantages: olde world not spoilt
Disadvantages: not wheelchair friendly

...Whitby, a charming harbour town with steep streets and cobbled narrow alleys in the east part of the town. The town is split into two by the River Esk and the harbour, with a swing bridge connecting the two parts. Besides its fishing heritage, fresh fish available daily, it's claim to fame is that the town is where Dracula come ashore in the famous Dracula" book by Bram Stoker. The churchyard, of the parish church of St Mary, which inspired him is reached by 199 steps from the harbour, all upwards! The other major "son" of the town is Captain Cook. James Cook was an apprentice seaman here and the house is now a museum dedicated to him. There is a bonze statue of him overlooking the harbour. Besides the shops and harbour you can journey further afield, south to Robin Hood Bay for fossil hunting, visiting the small fishing...

sheffsal 29.09.2004 · Read review
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Review of Whitby (England)

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside!

Advantages: fun story and pictures
Disadvantages: none!

...My three year old daughter is a big fan of the Winnie the Witch series of books by Korky Paul and Valerie Thomas - and this book 'Winnie at the Seaside' is a particular favourite. All of the books feature Winnie, a rather funny and sometimes incompetent witch, and her long suffering cat Wilbur. In this story, as it is an extremely hot summer, they take off for the seaside... Winnie and Wilbur fly off on her broomstick to reach the seaside. When they arrive though, they discover the beach is really packed, and the only space they can find to spread out their towel is very close to the water's edge. Winie has a lot of fun frolicking in the sea but as Wilbur does not like water he remains on the shore. Unfortunately, the tide comes further up the beach and washes all Winne's things out to sea including her broomstick! In order to...

kingfisher111 04.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of Winnie at the Seaside - Valerie Thomas

Whitby is Delightful

Advantages: Beautiful. Quaint. Historical. Links to Dracula,
Disadvantages: Hard to think of any

...When I lived in Yorkshire-itself a gorgeous county for those prepared to seek out its many charms-one of my most popular excursions was to take my wife and young daughter to Whitby. What a delightful little town Whitby is. As you approach it from the moors the first dramatic sight is that of the 11 th century Whitby Abbey,sacked during the days of King Henry VIII th. Now this building is under the auspices of English Heritage and to get to it from the town,you have to climb no less than 199 steps. Entrance is one pound,seventy pence. Whitby is forever assciated with Count Dracula. The author, Bram Stoker,lived in the town. This lovely little town also has a monument to Captain James Cook-this Yorkshireman was a wonderful sailor,who charted the oceans,pioneered developments in Australia, and insisted on his sailors taking lime to...

ashford 17.08.2001 · Read review
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Review of Whitby in General

The Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby

Advantages: Lots of history
Disadvantages: Admission charges

...Whitby in north east England is today a bustling little town that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Many come here because of its quaint narrow streets and it's old-worldly charms, others to see its old traditional working harbour. There is no denying that Whitby is a town that is steeped in a rich history and at the centre of this history is the story of Captain James Cook. Reference to this local hero, who sailed from here on his epic voyages of discovery to the New World, are everywhere that you look. In fact the residents of this town are so proud of their connections that they have dedicated an entire museum to him, which is known as the Captain Cook Memorial Museum. This museum is located on one of these narrow streets that so typify the old part of the town. The building itself that houses this museum...

micksheff 03.09.2007 · Read review
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Review of The Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby