Whitby

Whitby: history & character

Whitby, a North Yorkshire fishing port set at the mouth of the River Esk, owes its fame to the ruined abbey perched on the East Cliff, founded in 657 by St Hilda and site of the Synod of Whitby in 664. A whaling town and shipbuilding port in the 18th century, it was where Captain James Cook learned his trade as a sailor, and his ships, including the Endeavour, were built here. In the 19th century Whitby jet became fashionable mourning jewellery, worn as far as Queen Victoria's court, and the abbey's Gothic silhouette gave Bram Stoker the setting for Dracula. For travellers with a dog, Whitby is one of England's most welcoming coastal breaks: a compact old town on either side of the swing bridge, a pub culture where dogs are at home, the cliffs and Cleveland Way paths within easy reach, and the Esk Valley train from Middlesbrough carrying dogs free.