We went for a day trip to Whitby, a seaside town in North Yorkshire along the English coast. It has a long history as a busy port. Famous explorer Captain Cook lived here during his youth while learning navigation on local coal ships. Today it is a popular place to visit.
Our walk started around the main harbour. Plenty of boats were tied up at the docks, including a large blue catamaran, small motorboats, and local fishing vessels.
Right by the water, a herring gull perched on top of a stack of green lobster pots.
Further out toward the sea, two long stone piers extend into the water. Each one has its own lighthouse to guide ships coming in from the North Sea.
Heading into town, we wandered past all sorts of local shops. One that caught our eye was 'The Ebor Jetworks', a shop that displays traditional Whitby jet jewellery.
A bit further down, we spotted a fun, bright pink door with a neon 'I Love Whitby' sign.
Next up was the climb up the famous 199 Steps leading out of the lower town. It's a good workout, but the stone steps are nice and wide.
Steep as it was, the effort paid off with great views over the red roofed cottages below.
At the top sits St Mary's Church on East Cliff. According to English Heritage, its churchyard was featured in Bram Stoker's novel 'Dracula' as one of the vampire's haunts, which explains why you'll see plenty of goths visiting town at certain times of the year!
Just beyond the churchyard stand the impressive stone ruins of Whitby Abbey dominating the skyline.
Near the abbey entrance, a bright yellow open top tour bus was parked up, ready to shuttle visitors around.
Back down near the harbour wall, we came across wire sculptures of women working with fish barrels and baskets. A quick check on the Whitby Sculpture Trail site told us these wire art pieces by Emma Stothard represent the historic "herring lasses" who processed the catches brought in by the fishing fleets.
Whitby makes for an interesting day trip. It's very walkable, packed with coastal views, and full of history tied to its fishing roots and famous abbey. The town centre and harbour area are nice and flat, though walking up to the abbey on East Cliff gets quite steep.
