To go where no man had gone before…

Replica of the 'Endeavour'

Captain James Cook is the town’s most famous seafarer. He lived there for several years before leaving in two Whitby-built ships ‘Endeavour’ and ‘Resolution’ on his voyage to New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific islands. “I had the ambition to not only go farther than man had gone before, but as far as it was possible to go,” said Cook

The area’s creative drive has been fuelled by other factors. Black jet – fossilised araucaria – has been mined here since Queen Victoria popularised it as mourning wear. Some of the town’s ubiquitous jewellers sell pieces made to their own designs, or you can hunt out Victorian originals in the antiques shops.

Nineteenth-century photographer Frank Meadow Sutcliffe made his home in Whitby and is responsible for hundreds of evocative shots of the town and its people. Prints of his work can be seen throughout the town, but especially the Sutcliffe Gallery on Flowergate.

The area is a treat to visit on all sorts of levels, from walking the landscape to its history and creative inspiration. On another level, you can also be inspired by the best kippers and fish and chips in the world!

Around and about

St Mary’s Church, Whitby
At the top of the 199 steps stands this weather-beaten church which dates back to Norman times. Inside, it’s filled with unrivalled Victorian wooden box pews (some for the gentry, some for ordinary townspeople and some labelled ‘strangers’). Outside, tucked away in a little railed garden towards the back of the church, look out for the touching tomb of Francis Huntrood and his wife Mary who were both born on 19 September 1600, married on their birthday, had twelve children and died on 19 September 1680, within five hours of one another

Whitby Museum
This delightfully old-fashioned museum has a wide range of exhibits, including James Cook memorabilia, an impressive collection of fossils found on the Jurassic coastline, Whitby jet and sections on local history and archaeology

Captain Cook Memorial Museum
This 18th-century house, where Captain Cook once lodged, is now a museum dedicated to the explorer. There are also two rooms furnished as they would have been in Cook’s day. Two replicas of his boat ‘Endeavour’ are based in the harbour.

Museum of Victorian Whitby
Divided into two sections, one recreating a neighbourhood in Victorian Whitby, the other a collection of miniaturised rooms from the Victorian era to the present day.

Sandsend
When the tide is out you can walk the three miles along the beach from Whitby to this sweet, aptly-named village with its mixture of quiet beaches, chocolate-box cottages and woodland.

Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough
500ft above the town, this provides a magnificent backdrop, and stunning views.