Whitby

Whitby is a popular resort on the North Yorkshire coast. It is one of those places that combine being a working port with a resort. It retains a lot of it's character and charm, yet continues to develop and move into different directions. Ask people where they like to visit in Yorkshire and Whitby is sure to near the top of their list.

The settlement was originally known as Streonshal when the first monastery (wooden) was built in 656. After this was destroyed in a Viking raid the settlement was re-founded using the name Whitby derived from the Norse meaning white settlement.

Whitby abbey was later dissolved during the reign of King Henry VIII. Bram Stoker has managed to add to the intrigue of Whitby abbey by setting it as the location where Dracula first entered England in his Dracula novel, written in 1897. In recent years, Whitby has embraced this reputation with a few attractions and shops and it has become a centre for goths to visit.

Whitby became an important port, not just for fishing but for a flourishing trade in alum, a local stone that could be used in medicines and for fixing dyes. It needed coal to process it which was brought in by boat from Newcastle. It also became a centre of ship building. Amongst the notable sailors was a young Captain Cook who learned his trade at Whitby.

One of the advantages of being a fisihing port is the quality of the fish and Whiby is renowned for it's Fish and Chips. There are a number of restaurants and takeaway including some well known ones such as the Magpie (see photo)

In the Georgian era, Whitby became a Spa town. Whitby is also the only location where a black stone Jet is found in the UK and a flourishing jewellery trade developed in the Victorian era when Jet became very fashionable. There are still a number of shops selling local Jet jewellery, but there are also some cheaper imports.

Whitby is also a cultural centre hosting an annual folk festival amongst other events.

Car Hire Whitby