United Kingdom
Whitby Castle

Discover travel destinations of travelers writing a travel journal on FindPenguins.
Travelers at this place
    • Day 3

      Whitby

      March 3 in England ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

      Piccola città sul mare dove sono ambientati alcuni capitoli di Dracula di Bramh Stoker. Passeggiata fino al pontile, pranzo in un posto molto famoso inglese dove ho mangiato ottime cozze. Poi minigolf dei Pirati e visita all abbazia. Ho avuto un momento molto bello sul pontile, canticchiando city of starsRead more

    • Day 6

      Saturday Goths and a Missed Aurora

      October 30, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

      These photos are again from my camera rather than the phone - hopefully you can tell - and I’m aiming to use these as components to make other photos. Taking the first one as an example, you will see I have removed this gentleman’s background - he was actually sitting outside a bar having a gin & tonic with his wife, with a window behind him where the back of someone could be clearly seen. I’m hoping to place him in a entirely different location, creating a composite photo which is perhaps better described as photographic art. These types of photos can do well in local and national photographic competitions so I thought I’d give this style of photography a go and see how I get on. Time will tell.

      Having spent a few hours taking photos and enjoying my time in Whitby, Elizabeth picked me up late afternoon then later that night, with the skies remaining crystal clear, I spent the early hours of Sunday morning under the stars with my camera photographing the constellation of Orion, my favourite of the winter skies. When I say ‘crystal clear’ by the way, I really do mean it. The sky teemed with glistening stars on a deep black sky with the Milky Way shining brightly right across the heavens. I got to bed around 3.30am, though thankfully it was an hour earlier than that because the clocks were turned back to GMT. I won’t be processing the photos I took until I get home.

      (One very annoying thing happened tonight. You see, the Northern Lights were visible from Scotland and Northern England - I’d seen the forecast saying they would be so while I was out I kept an eye on the northern horizon just in case, but I saw nothing. However, only 20 minutes by car from where I was standing, just south of Whitby, it had been possible to see the Aurora. So why didn’t I see it? It was because the green glow was visible only very low on the horizon and to my north there were trees blocking my view. I was so disappointed when I saw a photo on Instagram the next morning, taken by someone so close to where I was standing. I’d love to see the Northern Lights from the UK but I’ll just have to be patient and hope there will be another opportunity.)

      Tomorrow Elizabeth and I will be off walking in the Yorkshire countryside, so hopefully the weather will be better than the current prediction. Do you fancy placing a bet on our chances for a walk?
      Read more

    • Day 13

      Great architecture and stunning views

      October 16, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

      I visited Royal Crescent on West Cliff, which was built in the 1850s by George Hudson, also known as the Railway King. His intention was to develop a complete crescent of large houses and hotels to rival the Royal Crescent in Bath. Unfortunately, he was declared bankrupt before completing the project. He fled to France to avoid being sent to debtor's prison. The half-crescent of elegant houses he did complete stands today as an excellent example of Victorian architecture.

      Just around the corner from Royal Crescent is Whitby's Whale Bone Arch, a draw for all visitors to the town.

      In the 18th and 19th centuries, the whaling industry was thriving in Whitby. Dozens of ships braved the Arctic seas off Greenland to hunt whales for their lucrative oil. It was a dangerous pursuit, and many crews never returned. On a ship's return to port, the crew would tie a whale's jawbone to the top of the mast as a sign that they had killed the animal and not the other way round.

      To recognise this tradition, a whalebone arch was erected on Whitby's West Cliff in 1853. The archway frames a view of the town's quaint cottages and cobbled streets, as well as the ruins of medieval Whitby Abbey across the bay on East Cliff.

      The original arch succumbed to the vagaries of the British weather and was replaced in 1963 with 20-foot jaw bones from a 113-ton Fin whale 🐋 killed by a Norwegian whaling ship.

      The current arch comprises the lower jaw bones of a Bowhead Whale legally killed by Alaskan Innuits. They were presented to the town of Whitby by the citizens of Anchorage, Alaska, in April 2002. (Whitby is twinned with Anchorage)
      Read more

    • Day 13

      Padlocks and Memorials

      October 16, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

      In towns, cities, and coastal resorts all over the world, bridges, railings, and fences attract people who want to celebrate their relationships or remember their loved ones by attaching padlocks or leaving flowers and messages. Whitby is no exception. The fence on the east cliff headland has been turned into such a place.Read more

    • Day 49

      St Hilda's Terrace

      November 21, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

      From the museum, I walked through Pannett Park to St Hilda's Terrace, a rare example of a Georgian terrace that remains almost in its original condition.  It was built in the 1700s on pasture land that the Hayes family had owned for centuries.  It quickly became the burgeoning whaling port of Whitby's most desirable address and has always had a strong connection to the sea.  In its early years, it was the main residence of ship owners, while their vessels' captains lived closer to the harbour on Esk Terrace.  

      The houses were built for gentlemen, and most had appendages at the back that they would use as their offices to run businesses from.  Early residents included William Scoresby, who had made a fortune from the Arctic whaling trade, and William Skinner, a ship owner who later entered banking.  Interestingly, there was a religious divide on the Terrace with the top end mainly occupied by Wesleyan Methodists and the bottom end by Quakers.  Reports from the time suggest that they didn't intermingle much.

      In the Georgian era, as was common, the houses were mainly acquired as assets and leased out to tenants, and many were passed down through generations.  By the 19th century, however, owner-occupiers were becoming more common.

      The demographics changed slightly in the later Victorian period as whaling declined.  Professional men moved in.  By the later 1900s, there were a lot of doctors.  It was like a northern Harley Street with surgeries at the back of the properties.  There were several estate managers, too.

      The whole street was Grade II-listed in 1954, so it largely avoided post-war decay as the Regency townhouses could not be converted or subdivided into small flats or bedsits.

      I then went in search of Whitby's Alice in Wonderland Garden, which is tucked away in Cliff Street. It's a lovely spot to sit and admire the view across the rooftops to the Abbey.
      Read more

    • Day 164

      Whitby Distillery Tour

      March 15 in England ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

      As part of my birthday celebrations, we booked a Whitby Distillery tour, including a gin tasting.

      Next year, the distillery is moving to amazing new premises in an English Heritage-owned property next to Whitby Abbey. For now, though, it is to be found in an inauspicious industrial unit on the outskirts of town. Despite the unpromising-looking building, the tour was interesting, informative, and very enjoyable.

      The business was started just a few short years ago by Jessica and Luke. Through trial and error and a lot of online research, they crafted their signature gin, flavouring it with distinctive local botanicals: heather foraged from the North York Moors, sugar kelp and local honey, each selected to champion one element of the North Yorkshire coastline.

      They began with very small quantities produced in the 40 sq ft utility room at Luke’s parent’s house and sold in local shops. Their reputation grew quickly and they were soon winning awards. Today, they have several different varieties of gin and a couple of rums, which are all delicious!

      The hour-long tour and tasting cost £25 which we felt was really good value, especially as we were given a full glass of gin and tonic with grapefruit and rosemary on arrival to drink while we listened to the presentation! We then got to taste the rest of their range. Superb!!
      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Whitby Castle

    Join us:

    FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android