Whitby

Whitby, town in North Yorkshire, north-eastern England. Whitby is on the North Sea at the mouth of the River Esk. The heart of Whitby is the old port, with its steep, narrow streets, on the eastern bank of the river. The port reached its height of importance in the 18th century, when Whitby had a whaling fleet and was a base for coal ships plying the North Sea. The 18th-century explorer and navigator James Cook lived in Whitby for nine years in his youth, learning seamanship on the colliers. Two of the ships used on his voyages to the South Pacific Ocean, the Endeavour and the Resolution, were built locally. Whitby still has a small fishing fleet but its economy today is based on tourism, some light industry, and the exploitation of local deposits of potash. The western part of Whitby grew up as the town developed as a resort during the Victorian Era. Today, visitors are attracted not only by the sea, but use Whitby as a base for exploring the adjacent North York Moors National Park and the Cleveland Hills.

Dominating the old town from the heights of the East Cliff, and Whitby’s most notable feature, are the gaunt sandstone ruins of Whitby Abbey. Founded in 657 by St Hilda, the abbey became one of England’s foremost religious centres. It was the meeting place of the historic Synod of Whitby, at which the churches in England agreed to follow Roman rather than Celtic Church customs. At this time, the abbey was also home to Caedmon, the first of the Anglo-Saxon Christian poets. The abbey was rebuilt in 1078 after being sacked by the Danes in 867. The existing buildings date from the 13th century and their eerie atmosphere inspired Bram Stoker to set part of his classic Gothic novel Dracula in the town.

Whitby has other, less-sensational associations with death: the carving of jet (a form of lignite found on Whitby beach) was an important industry in Whitby in the 19th century. The black jewellery was much in demand as being almost the only form of personal adornment allowed under the strict code of Victorian mourning. The craft still continues, and modern jet jewellery can be bought in Whitby, as well as original 19th-century pieces in the many antique shops. A memorial statue to Captain Cook and the Whalebone Arch look out over the sea. Population 13,640 (1991).