Whitby – A Port Town in England

Picturesque town

This picturesque little town on the northeast coast in North Yorkshire attract tourists for its great landscapes of the sea and cliffs, fasciniating history, wide shopping opportunities and delicious local delicies. Even humble fish and chips taste superb here with the fish caught fresh from the sea and the River Esk that flows through the town. People from all walks of life flock here with their families to have a good time.

Welcome to Whitby

Entry to Whitby is dramatic. Ruins of the 13th century Whitby Abbey, resembling a surrealist architectural creation, overlook the scenic harbor with fishing boats mildly bobbling up and down in the sea waves with seagulls flying low hunting for small fish.

The Town

On the east side of Whitby is the old town. Its quaint Victorian houses with sloping red roofs, narrow cobbled streets, little shops, pubs and restaurants look like charming sepia-colored photographs from an old album. The port town still exudes in abundance olde worlde charms.

The town’s coastlines are probably the finest in Britain. Its long sandy beaches, besides looking most inviting, are also safe for swimming. You get delicious seafood snacks from the food stalls on the beach. The beach also offers opportunities for children and their parents to enjoy donkey rides.

Whitby’s reputation as a seafarer’s town stretches back to over a thousand years. Vikings from across the North Sea raided it several times and many of them settled in England, influencing its culture and tradition.

The Cook Museum

It was in this little port town where Captain James Cook, distinguished explorer and navigator of the 19th century, first learnt as an young apprentice the intricacies of shipbuilding techniques and then set off on long voyages to Pacific Ocean and became the first European to establish contact with the coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands. The Cook Museum in Whitby has on display authentic materials of these voyages including paintings of exotic landscapes and strange aborogines made by artists who accompanied the Captain.

Exploring the town

The best time to visit Whitby is from June to September when it is summer time and the temperature is dry and comfortable. But English summers are seldom reliable and rainfall is unpredictabe. Suden rain may curtail your beach activities. So pack up a few light woolens and be prepared to concentrate more on onshore activities like visiting pubs more often, restaurants, museums and exploring the charming town walking the cobbled streets, holding an umbrella as protection from the drizzle. You will surely enjoy these activities but perhaps not the children if they are accompanying you.

Shopping

Being a tourists’ town, Whitby abounds with interesting little shops and boutiques selling  varieties of items like costume jewelry, fashionable clothes and exotic artefacts from different parts of the world.

Night out

There are some fascinating pubs where you can have excellent food – predominantly varieties of fish – and beer and strout. Walk into a pub whenever you are hungry or thirsty. Duke of York on Church Street and the Board Inn next door also offer live music.

Go to Greens of Whitby in the old town if you want to dine in style. You will of course relish the delicious food they serve. And you will also like its warm and contemporary interior.

Exploring beyond the town

Visit Blackpool, a resort closeby and explore its Winter Gardens consisting of a series of pavilions built in the late 19th century. Blackpool Pleasure Beach has an amusement park with the fastest and craziest rollercoaster.

Destination Whitby

Plan you next summer holiday in this historic seaside town for an enjoyable holiday with your family.