Wonderful Whitby Blog

Wonderful Whitby Blog now on Twitter

Posted on May 11, 2011 by admin

Hopefully our blog will now feature on our twitter page!

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Whitby Yorkshire Harbour

Posted on May 11, 2011 by admin

Whitby is a natural harbour on the North Yorkshire Coastline, having been a place of shelter for passing ships for many centuries. Possibly as early as Roman times (there is evidence of a Roman lighthouse on the East Side cliff top) the port of Whitby has been host to a wide variety of craft from traders to whalers and even invaders!

Our most famous maritime connection with Whitby is of course, Captain James Cook. Having been apprenticed in Whitby, he left to enlist in the Navy and began his famous career. The boat Endeavour, with which he is synonymously linked with the charting of the coastline of Australia was, in fact, a Whitby cat (a coal vessel).

Mary Anne Hepworh, Whitby Harbour

The Replica of Endeavor, Whitby harbour

One of the Pleasure boats in Whitby harbour

With the increase in the whaling industry another Whitby son, Sir William Scoresby along with his son, became famous Whaling Captains. The crow’s nest was the brainchild of Sir William Scoresby which allowed the easier visibility of the location of schools of whales. It was adopted by many other kinds of sailing vessels for the purpose of both lookout for pirates and dangerous rocks. A structure of a crow’s nest dedicated to Sir William Scoresby is situated alongside Whitby Harbour near to the Tourist Information Centre.

The past few years has seen a decline in the amount of commercial trade undertaken at
Whitby Yorkshire Harbour. The unloading of cargo and storage at Dock End has all but ceased alongside too that of the Custom men.

Nowadays the harbour is still vibrant but with this is almost entirely due to tourism, the exception being the boat builders and repairers further upstream and the last few remaining full-time fishermen struggling to make a living in the face of the current economic climate and legislation.

The boat trips and pleasure trips to sea are a daily and colourful sight in the harbour at this time of the year. The calls of the boatmen attracting attention to the different vessels available, the shriek of the seagulls swooping over the harbour searching for titbits and scraps left by the visitors and the steady hum of engines beating like hearts in the engine holds ensure that Whitby Harbour is still alive and continues to provide both income and pleasure to the townsfolk and the ever increasing tourists.

There are plenty of different boat trips to choose from. These include the Mary Anne Hepworth, Whitby’s old lifeboat and a mini replica of Captain Cooks Endeavor! Some of the larger boats take longer trips including sunset cruises and even whale watching trips.

Posted in Whitby Boat Trips | Tagged Whitby Boat Trips, Whitby Harbour, whitby yorkshire | 1 Comment

Goathland, North Yorkshire

Posted on May 4, 2011 by admin

Steam train pulling into Goathland Station

Goathland Church

The North Yorkshire moorland villages are looking particularly springlike at the moment. It is lovely to see all the lambs alongside their mothers in the fields and interesting to see that some sheep have had one white and one black lamb.

Goathland has settled once more into it’s normal village life with only a few reminders of it’s much publicised television series of Heartbeat. The long running programme based on the Nicholas Rhea books detailing the life of a village bobby in the sixties. This popular series ran for almost eleven years and put the village of Goathland, or rather Aidensfield, on the tourist map. The village store was renamed the Aidensfield Village store, the local pub renamed The Aidensfield Arms and the local garage renamed Scripps Garage and Funeral Directors. Some of the signs have remained and have been much photographed by tourists who still remember the programme.

The village church at the other end of the village has been the focus for many of the story lines with some visitors even asking where different characters are buried!! The church has many unusual features and it’s foundation lay with early Christians in the 1200s when the village was called Gode Land. (Gods land)

The railway station at Goathland has also been immortalised in the Harry Potter movie as the station for Hogwart’s School. It still has the atmosphere of a by-gone era with it’s quaint waiting room doubling up as a tea-room. Many old railway carriages are waiting in the sidings to be renovated by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a volunteer organisation founded to promote the continuation of steam train travel between the old railway stations of the Grosmont to Pickering line closed in 1965 as part of the ‘Beeching’ cuts.

There is a very picturesque walk from the railway station to Beck Hole accessed by crossing the railway line and following the well trodden path uphill and then downhill via steps cut into the hillside. The walk continues across flat land to the small bridge over the stream. It is part of the ‘Water Arc’ walk and one of many well publicised and documented local walks much loved by ramblers, hikers and those out for a family walk.

At Beck Hole there is the Birch Hall Inn for some welcome refreshment before a steep uphill walk back to Goathland passing by the small picturesque village of Darnholm.

A day in Goathland with it’s beautiful setting on The North Yorkshire Moors is a delight for the more discerning visitor, added to this is the Mallayan Spout Waterfall, an approximately 60′ feet drop of cascading water accessed by a walk by the side of the Mallayan Hotel, and indeed the visit is complete.

Posted in NYM Railway | Tagged goathland, north yorkshire, north yorkshire moors | 1 Comment

Whitby UK Beaches

Posted on April 30, 2011 by admin

West Cliff Beach, Whitby UK

There has certainly been a tremendous amount of visitors and local folk taking advantage of our lovely Whitby beaches in the last few weeks. The weather in Whitby UK of late has been that to equal any of the Meditteranean holiday resorts. In fact, it has been one of the best Easter breaks for many a year and it has been especially remarkable for the children on holiday

The small Tate Hill beach is easily accessible on the East side from Church Street and is safe for small children to play on the sands and to paddle in the harbour. Very popular with families and small enough to keep a watchful eye out on the children without fear of any rip tides.

The West Cliff beach stretches along to Sandsend and is easily two to three miles long. An easy walk but care should be taken with regard to the tides. This beach can be accessed along by the harbour but also by the cliff top via downhill paths or alternatively, in the summer months, via the cliff lift situated near the outdoor paddling pool This year there has already been donkeys taking the small children for rides and has seemed more like summer than spring. The rides have opened up on the Battery Parade and the Ice-cream traders are doing a roaring trade.

At Upgang Ravine (near the golf club) there is easy access for the launching of jet skis from the beach which is becoming a popular sport as well as water skiing. There are certain rules with regard to the distance inshore these craft are permitted to operate to ensure the safety of swimmers. There are buoys in place marking the boundaries. Surfers too can be seen regularly along this stretch of beach

Another new sport increasingly seen on our coast is that of fishing from kayaks launched from the beach. A novel way to combine two sports simultaneously.

Hopefully the lovely weather will continue and enable full use of our seaside facilities. Within this website there is a facility to check the local tide table to ensure safe walking and sports pastimes without fear of being ‘cut off’ by the tide.

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Whitby NYM Railway Steam Trains

Posted on April 24, 2011 by admin

Photo of couple going on the Pullman Dining Car

Celebration Couple on the NYM Pullman Car

: Engine driver stoking the Pullman Car Engine

: Locomotive at Grosmont Station

On a beautiful sunny day this week there was the commencement of the Pullman dining car on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The picturesque station at Grosmont had crowds of visitors not only for the Pullman dining but also sightseeing and travellers on the Middlesbrough to Whitby Esk Valley Line.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is celebrating 175th years of the Whitby to Pickering line and has a number of special events lined up for 2011. From the 29th April until the 8th May there will be a 10 day cavalcade of locomotives with names such as Tornado, Rocket and Planet all reflecting the history of the railways.

The Swinging Sixties special event on the 11th and 12th June promises a mixture of period locomotives and vehicles combined with live music at stations along the railway. A wonderful weekend celebration to bring back memories for the ‘not so young’ and great entertainment for those not quite remembering the sixties. Great times!

A Vintage Vehicle Weekend takes place on the 9th – 10th July which is displaying classic and vintage motor vehicles along the railway, most of them lovingly restored back to their former glory.

On the 16th – 18th September it is a weekend of Heritage Diesel Locomotion. There will be home-based and visiting engines on view to admire.

An Autumn Steam Gala takes place on the 30th September through to the 2nd October. Again both home-based and visiting engines will be on display along the line.

One of the most popular events of the year is the Railway in Wartime. This is taking place on the 14th-16th October. In the past members of the public have really ‘gone to town’ with their dress of the 1940’s. Quite often there are British Soldiers walking along the platforms alongside SS Officers and Nazi Soldiers. Ladies in their foxfur stoles and smart suits (The New Look) elegantly strolling in and around Pickering and Whitby and indeed many of the stations along the route. There will be street parades, vehicle displays and re-enactments along the railway. Entertainment provided by ENSA.

Around Christmas time there are the ever popular Santa Specials on the 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th December, a great attraction for the young and old alike. Festive fun with Santa and his helpers, a lovely run up to Christmas.

The Pullman Dining Cars are a lovely way to celebrate a special occasion, an anniversary, birthday or just a special treat. There is a variety of choice of menu from a three or four course to a simple afternoon tea. Booking is advisable are they are often full to capacity. Last week they had a red carpet out and a beautiful display of flowers to welcome the diners of the ‘Afternoon Tea’ train from Grosmont through to Pickering, then a short stay in Pickering before another selection of cakes and refreshments on the return journey.

The steam trains of The North Yorkshire Moors Railway run regularly from April through to the end of October. It is always advisable to check on the timetable for train times. There are four different timetables, gold, silver, green and red operating on different days of the week or month.

This year, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway has frozen most of the fares so another good reason why to take a trip on this most beautiful and scenic rail route.

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Whitby Yorkshire, Royal Wedding

Posted on April 23, 2011 by admin

Bunting and flags are being displayed all around Whitby Yorkshire, in a colourful celebration of St. George’s day and also the impending marriage of our future King, Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday, 29th April 2011.

Many parties are being planned all around the Whitby area including Castleton which is being transformed into one massive street party. The mothers of the local children at Castleton School, with the support from local businesses and community groups, have organised a flyover from a bi-plane Tiger Moth as well as fancy-dress and face-painting.

Danby is having a best decorated house to be judged the day before the wedding, with the best decorated house being awarded a prize on the wedding day itself, presented by the Mayoress.

In Robin Hood’s Bay, a street party is being held at the Scout Hut after a flag parade by the brownies, guides, cubs and scouts. Fun activities will include face-painting, crown decorating and a stall selling wedding memorabilia, tombola and a cake stall.

In Lythe events are planned on the old cricket field hopefully to include fancy dress, tug of war and novelty races. Festivities continue later with a street style party in the village hall.

The town of Whitby Yorkshire and the surrounding area will certainly look regal in the days leading up to the wedding day celebration and the day itself. It is to be hoped that everyone will enjoy the Royal Wedding either by street parties or village events or even in the comfort of their own home watching on television. We wish the couple ‘All the best from Whitby Yorkshire.’

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Whitby UK today

Posted on April 17, 2011 by admin

: Maybeck today, Whitby UK

: Maybeck today, Whitby UK

: Flowering Cherry Tree in Robin Hood’s Bay

Today in Whitby Uk on this beautiful sunny Sunday, 17th April, the crowds of residents and visitors were walking around the town particularly around the harbour area. The River Esk in the harbour was so still it seemed mirrored making beautiful reflections of the buildings either side.

Children were busy fishing on kiddies corner with their handlines for tiny crabs. Occasionally the odd small flattie or eel, brought ashore amid cries of delight. The Whitby Pleasure Boats were out and about, the privately owned small fishing craft were making the best of the early warm still weather, and the Whitby Boat trips were making brisk business.

The flowering cherry trees on Mayfield Road, Whitby are an absolute joy to behold lining this busy road with such a wonderful pink and white display. In fact, around the coastal village of Robin Hood’s Bay too, the flowering cherries are in abundance.

Visitors have been flocking Today to Falling Foss and Maybeck, many with picnic baskets and excited children in tow. The cafe is now open at Falling Foss serving welcome refreshments after the woodland walks. High in the treetops the birds were singing their courting songs and along the road to Maybeck the newborn lambs were gamboling alongside their mothers in the field, truly a spring picture.

All in all it has been an absolutely lovely day Today in Whitby UK.

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Whitby Yorkshire Flowers and Fisherman Sculpture

Posted on April 9, 2011 by admin

Sculpture of a fisherman tending his nets

Roadside daffodils in Sleights

Walking around Whitby Yorkshire in the last couple of days, it’s lovely to see all the spring flowers in bloom. Each of the roundabouts have been planted with primulas and primroses and are looking very colourful and tidy. The gardeners have been doing an excellent job. The roundabout on Mayfield Road is looking wonderful as it welcomes the visitors to the town. The cherry trees are showing their pink blossom and the dandelions are in full yellow bloom (I know they are weeds but the grass cannot be mown whilst the daffodil and crocus leaves are still there).

The daffodils, although past their best on Mayfield Road, are in abundance along the roadsides elsewhere. Sleights in particular, has a beautiful display. The blackthorn hedgerows and the blackthorn trees are in bloom with their delicate white flowers and the forsythia is truly amazing the last couple of weeks, all around the town the gardens have this beautiful yellow bush. It has been said that these spring flowers and shrubs are all the more prolific this year after all the snow and frosts. Spring in Whitby Yorkshire is a delightful time of year.

There is a new sculpture at the bottom of the 199 steps. It is a lifesize sculpture of a fisherman tending his nets. Its hard to believe that it is made from something so simple as chicken wire. He is kneeling on blue/grey slate and later on there will be contrasting plants surrounding him with perhaps some brightly coloured climbing plants.

Traffic lights are now installed on the New Bridge as they are updating the railings. Hopefully this will not cause too much disruption. News is that there is to be a ‘new’ Police Station at the Tourist Information Office. Obviously not a ‘real’ station, but a convenient place for locals and visitors alike to contact the police for day to day enquiries.

Currently Whitby Yorkshire is indeed a hub of activity, day-trippers and visitors are streaming into the town and although early in the year, with the weather being as it is, it seems that the holiday season for this year is well under way.

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Whitby Accommodation, Whitby Hotels, Whitby Cottages and Whitby B & Bs

Posted on April 4, 2011 by admin

The wonderful town of Whitby has a huge range of accommodation on offer to people visiting the town. Let us help you plan your stay in Whitby!

Visit our wide selection of Whitby accommodation, including hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, cottages and apartments, by clicking on the following links:

Whitby Self-catering and Apartments

Over the past couple of decades there has been a change in the tourism patterns. Formerly the town was very quiet over the months from October through till Easter time. Gradually there has been a steady increase, so much so, that the town is increasingly busy throughout the year. A shift in holiday choices has meant that Whitby is popular for a weekend break, a few days away and the annual summer holiday. This trend has led to the establishment of many new Whitby hotels, Whitby cottages and Whitby B & Bs, to cope with the extra holiday trade alongside the well established accommodation providers.

Many of the recognised different types of accommodation are registered with the English Tourist Board and have grading depending on the facilities offered. When considering which type of holiday and which type of accommodation is on offer, the visitor can be assured of a certain quality and standard when using these establishments.

Facilities too have changed over the years. Nowadays, many discerning visitors require en-suite accommodation or at least a shared bathroom with one other room. Long gone are the days when one bathroom served about four or five rooms! Holiday cottages and holiday apartments too are now well furnished and equipped to high standards, making Whitby fully competitive with the rest of the country.

There are many ways for the visitor to choose their accommodation, from the local tourist guide or newspaper advertising to the ever increasing use of the internet. Some of the larger Whitby hotels obviously offer more facilities but this is reflected in the tariff. The Whitby B & Bs and Whitby Guesthouses are more moderately priced. For a large family wishing to holiday together, then Whitby cottages and Whitby holiday apartments can be more economical by way of self-catering.

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Whitby Harbour Life

Posted on April 1, 2011 by admin

The old Life Boat, Whitby harbour, Whitby UK

Whitby Harbour on a summers day

: Whitby Harbour on a calm summers day

Whitby Harbour Life

I like the harbour on a cold, winter morn;

When I’m stood on the quayside, all wrapped up and warm!

Far crashing waves are all you can hear,

But our harbour is a haven, with nothing to fear.

Especially with our lifeboat, always ready to sail,

With a crew of brave men, whose courage never fails,

Trawlers lie idle, all tied up at bay,

No going to sea for this fleet today.

Their nets are all coiled and stowed out of sight,

Boats huddled together in the early morning light.

I like the harbour, when it’s bustling and bright;

Long days of sunshine, balmy summer nights.

Trawlers are busily landing their fish,

And the catch of the day is a tasty dish.

Crab pots are stacked up in rows, on the quay,

Ready to load for a day out at sea.

Fishermen are mending their nets in the sun,

As pleasure boats sail past, for a day full of fun.

I like the harbour, when the Regatta is here.

Rowing crews racing to the sounds of cheers

From people lining railings to watch them appear.

Boats, big and small with flags on display,

And everyone enjoying a wonderful day.

The swing bridge is old now, one hundred not out,

An iconic part of this town.

Thought of with fondness from folks near and far,

Even when she keeps breaking down!

The harbour is the heart of old Whitby town,

With piers stretching out East and West.

It’s a special place for everyone;

Our harbour is one of the best!

‘Harbour Life’ written by Helen N. 2011

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