Whitby Tourist and Travel Information Guide

Whitby Tourist and Travel Information Guide

Whitby offers a delightful combination of fishing port and tourist centre and has a thriving holiday resort trade and is set among fine stretches of coast with spectacular cliffs and bays. Having a unique old world charm, for centuries Whitby has provided a safe haven for shipping and fishing fleets. Whitby was once the main whaling port for the North of England.

Whitby is one of Britain`s finest coastlines, with cliffs, panoramic bays and safe sandy beaches. Whitby has been a port for more than a thousand years.

Below the West Cliff is 2.5 km of clean sandy beach ending at the picturesque village of Sandsend. The beach is very popular with holidaymakers in the summer.

The East side of Whitby is the old town where cobbled streets still wind beneath cliffs and where picturesque red roofed houses nestle on the slopesabove the river Esk,the narrowalleys and quaint streets climb down to the busy quayside.The old town is ashoppers’ paradise. With an array of unique shops offeringlocal crafts, famous Whitby Jet jewellery, maritime memorabilia and antiques, you are sure to find that holiday treasure. This picturesque seaport town has a greater concentration of visitor experiences per square mile than in many of the better-known tourist destinations. there are many excellent restaurants, cafes and bars, real-ale pubs, and the best fish and chips in the northern hemisphere. Whitby offers fishing trips by boat or from the pier.

Whitby`s past and present have combined to make it known to millions throughout the world. Even the darker corners of the town have been immortalised in the classic Victorian novel "Dracula". The author Bram Stoker, set three quarters of his story around Whitby.

Whitby Jet
The black stone known as "Whitby Jet" which is a hard black mineral dug from the cliffs has been found and worked by local craftsmen for centuries. Each piece is handled ten times in a method of working that has not changed for over 150 years. Craftsmen can be seen today turning it into the finest jewellery.

Whitby Abbey
Every visitor to Whitby sees the great 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 of the Abbey founded ( 657AD ) over 1300 years ago. The ruins of the Abbey as seen today, were built over 500 years after the death of Lady Hilda, who became a Saint and was known by the Anglo Saxon name of Hild, meaning "battle" and was born into the Royal house of Northumbria.

Captain Cook Connection
You can browse in the Captain Cook Museum "Captain James Cook was born on October 27th 1728 in the village not far from Whitby, called Marston" stroll along the harbour front and see a replica of Captain Cook's ship "The Endeavour" or watch the deep sea trawlers land their catches or just watch the world go by.

Whitby Folk Week
Whitby Folk Week is a compelling reason for ignoring the ‘Costas’ and heading to the north east of England in late August each year. Seven days of dancing in the streets, music and singing in the pubs, concerts and dances until late into the night, and a whole lot more. Seven days of meeting old friends and making new ones. Folk Week is a festival that no lover of real music should miss.

Whitby Gothic Weekend
Whitby Gothic Weekend is a twice-yearly festival for Goths in Whitby one around April time, and one of course in October around the Hallowean weekend. Whitby Gothic Weekends have been so successful it has now grown into one of the most popular gothic events in the world.

The Whitby Festival
The Whitby Festival is held around mid-June and Carnival in mid-August reflect the seafaring traditions.

The Whitby Regatta
The Whitby Regatta 2008 August 2nd, 3th, 4th,presents to you,three full days of entertainment, embracing yacht racing, rowing races and variousfree forms of entertainment, finishing with a prize presentation and spectacular firework display. One hundred and sixty eight years of aquatic competition and entertainment. The Whitby Regatta is probably the oldest sea Regatta in England and has drawn large crowds into Whitby over the years. It started in a very small way with the fishermen competing against each other in their fishing smacks and salmon cobbles. Then came the yachts. Between 1847 and the 1930's, yacht racing formed the greater part of the Regatta.

Frank Meadows Sutcliffe
local photographer Frank Meadows Sutcliffe took many pictures of the town, its inhabitants and the surrounding area. These can be viewed, and prints purchased, in the Sutcliffe Gallery.