Whitby

Whitby is the town at the mouth of the Esk, and the end of the line. The river divides it in two: the old town on the east side clusters beneath the ruins of Whitby Abbey, reached by the famous 199 steps, while the west side has the beach, the whalebone arch and the Captain Cook statue on West Cliff.

James Cook learned his seamanship here, and the Captain Cook Memorial Museum occupies the house on Grape Lane where he lodged as an apprentice. Bram Stoker set part of Dracula in the town, a connection celebrated twice a year at Whitby Goth Weekend.

The harbour is still a working port, with fishing boats, pleasure cruises and some of the finest fish and chips anywhere. Whitby jet, the black gemstone found along this coast, has been worked here since Victorian times and is sold in the jewellers of Church Street.

Whitby station is beside the harbour, served by the Esk Valley line and, in season, by North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam trains from Pickering. The town has a large choice of accommodation and makes a good base for the whole valley.