We know you will be wondering what there is to do in such a magical place, well fear not as Whitby is steeped in history, so there are many visitor attractions that are connected to the town’s fascinating past but also plenty of walks, places to explore, eat, drink and attractions for all the family to enjoy.

It is essentially a town of two halves divided by the River Esk, and Whitby’s natural geographic situation has shaped both its historical and commercial past and continues to influence its culture to the present day.

The East Side of Whitby is the older of the two sections and the location for the Abbey and 199 steps, the founding point for the town, which dates back to 656 AD.

At the bottom of the 199 steps that lead to the Abbey is Church Street, whose cobbled streets and many cottages and houses date from the 15th century, however origins can be traced back even further, with dwellings having been documented at the foot of the Abbey steps as early as 1370.

There is a lively Market Place and Sandgate a bustling high street where Whitby jet can still be purchased. Having been carved since the Bronze Age, the jewellery made from fossilized monkey puzzle trees was made fashionable by Queen Victoria, who wore it in mourning of her beloved Prince Albert following his death from supposed typhoid fever in 1861.

The West Cliff, which is today dominated by hotels, guest houses, holiday accommodation and tourist attractions once played host to a very famous visitor. Bram Stoker stayed at a guest house in Royal Crescent in the late 19h century, and drew inspiration for his famous novel ‘Dracula’ from Whitby Abbey and the surrounding area.

At the top of Khyber Pass with its panoramic views over the North Sea and the famous piers, is the Whale Bone Arch, which was originally erected in 1853 in homage to Whitby’s thriving whaling trade.

To the left of the Whale Bone Arch stands the bronze statue of Captain James Cook, the Yorkshireman famous for his exploration and cartography of Newfoundland, Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. Whilst he would rise to the prestigious position of Captain in the Royal Navy, it was in Whitby that the eighteen year old Cook was first taken on as a merchant navy apprentice for the small fleet of vessels run by local ship-owners John and Henry Walker. It is fitting then perhaps that their old house on Grape Lane now houses the Captain Cook Memorial Museum.