A first visit to Whitby, I was pleasantly surprised by this beautifully quaint North Yorkshire town.
History reigns in the fabric of Whitby; warm and welcoming, the town has a comfortingly traditional vibe, retaining much of the old seaside holiday attributes: paddling pool, seafront stalls and beach huts, remain unobtrusively, amidst more modern bars and restaurants and fabulously traditional pubs.
Accommodation
Try Ingrid Flute’s Yorkshire Holiday Cottages for a great variety of cottages and houses, ranging in size, location and character.
Whitby Abbey
Whitby Abbey is unmistakable on the North Yorks coast and adorns the skyline from any point in the town. It is well worth a visit; an English Heritage property; membership shall allow you free entry to the Abbey and many other English Heritage properties in the area. *
Said to have provided the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula; the extended history of the abbey is played out through commentary, signage and an impressive visitor centre.
Views of Whitby harbour and the surrounding countryside are exceptional and a coffee shop is an added bonus, to enjoy more time at the top of the town.
* Membership of English Heritage entitles members to free entry to all EH properties throughout England and half price to Historic Scotland properties in Scotland and the equivalent in Wales.
Whitby Abbey 
View from Whitby Abbey 
View to Whitby Abbey 
Whitby Abbey
Whistlestop Café & Bistro
The Whistlestop Café is a friendly establishment situated in one of the many railway buildings, surrounding Whitby station.
A great early morning find – breakfast was vast, hugely enjoyable and great value in a friendly, café atmosphere, with chatty staff, who remained very welcoming as the café filled with a range of bikers, families and people en route to work.
Harry’s Bar
A busy Saturday evening in Whitby, with no dinner reservation – the popular Harry’s Bar on the town’s harbour front, magically produced a table in the busy bar.
Accommodating staff served fabulous food and drinks with great service and character. The option of tapas style eating is a perfect alternative to their a la carte and great wine, served by a fabulous cocktail barman, who’s great memory of my personal preferences, served him well on a second visit.
Harry’s Bar 
Harry’s Bar 
The Whistlestop Cafe and Bistro
The Granby
A typical Yorkshire pub, the Granby in Whitby offers good beer, traditional pub fayre and an open fire. Sit back and relax and soak up the atmosphere or enjoy the chat around the friendly bar. Dog Friendly.
Grosmont
Grosmont is a step back in time and a heartwarming village you won’t want to leave. Jump on the Grosmont Steam Train from Whitby or enjoy from the platform as the beautifully traditional trains steam their way from station to station.
The Station Tavern Grosmont is an absolute must (dog friendly as so many in the area are) where great food and drinks are served up in a convivial atmosphere, where the sound of the steam trains outside, give the impression of a film set or step back in time.
Station Tavern Grosmont 
Egton Bridge 
Grosmont Train Station 
Grosmont
Beaches
The many beaches in and around Whitby are expansive, sandy and cared for – many of them are only dog friendly in the winter months, leaving months of summer enjoyment for families.
Beach 
Coastline at dawn 
Whitby Beach 
Whitby Beach
Whitby Museum and Art Gallery
In the middle of Whitby’s beautiful Pannett Park, is the town’s museum and art gallery. Well worth a couple of hours, the art gallery is free of charge, with a small fee for the museum, which contains everything from fossils and dinosaur footprints to video footage of the busy Whitby beaches, circa 1960.
White Horse and Griffin
The White Horse and Griffin is a small, traditional pub, sitting in the winding cobbled streets of Whitby old town. With the town sitting on the side of a cliff, steep inclines and gentle slopes are not uncommon and the White Horse and Griffin is no different with at least part of the building sitting at basement level. A small bar and larger, atmospheric restaurant with exposed stone interior, offers a relaxed backdrop to delicious pub food.
Captain Cook 
Sunrise in Whitby 
2c, The Shipping Office 
The White Horse and Griffin
Abbey Wharf
A busy bar and restaurant with a rooftop terrace overlooking the harbour, make the perfect place to relax over drinks and food in Whitby. Abbey Wharf is located in the old part of town on the abbey side of the bridge, accessed off one of the cobbled lanes.
Steam Train
It is comforting to know that the steam trains still run a regular timetable and is a definite MUST when visiting Whitby. Catch one to nearby Grosmore for lunch at Thee Station Tavern before returning a few hours later. Traditional coaches and private carriages offer a great vantage point, from where you can enjoy the North Yorkshire countryside.
Steam Train at Grosmont 
Egton Bridge 
Egton Bridge 
Whitby Museum and Art Gallery
Egton Bridge
A selection of quaint villages make up the surrounding area to Whitby; all beautiful, picturesque and charming; none less so than Egton Bridge.
Idyllically set traditional stone buildings, large green spaces, ancient trees, rivers and brooks and of course, charming bridges make up beautiful Egton Bridge. A couple of well-positioned pubs with beer gardens, complete the picture of Egton Bridge – a personal favourite.