Whitby

Whitby sits at the mouth of the River Esk, divided by the water into old and new town. The east side, reached by crossing the swing bridge, is where the original fishing settlement developed, and it remains the more arresting of the two: a tight knot of cobbled lanes, jet shops, and fish merchants running up to the foot of the 199 steps. The west side expanded in the 19th century as a seaside resort and is where you find the hotels on the cliff and the main beach. Neither side has been heavily modernised. The town still works, still smells of fish, and still makes most of its income from the sea and the visitors who come because of it.

What is the history behind Whitby Abbey?

The abbey on the headland above the old town was founded in 657 AD by Abbess Hilda and destroyed by Viking raids in 867. The ruins standing today are the remains of a 13th-century Benedictine rebuilding and are managed by English Heritage. The 199 steps connecting the old town to St Mary's Church and the abbey headland are Grade I listed. Built in stone in 1774, replacing an earlier wooden staircase, the count was officially confirmed as 199 in the church records following a restoration in 1877. John Wesley counted 191 when he climbed them to preach. The steps served as the main route for coffin-bearers carrying the dead to the cliff-top churchyard, and pallbearers could rest the coffin on the flat-topped benches that line the ascent. Dogs can use the steps.

Bram Stoker arrived in Whitby in late July 1890, staying at Mrs Veazey's guesthouse at 6 Royal Crescent. He had come to recover after a difficult theatrical tour of Scotland and had a week alone before his wife and son joined him. During that week he walked down to the reading room on the quay on 8 August and found a book by British consul William Wilkinson recording his experiences in Wallachia and Moldavia, published in 1820. It was there he found the name Dracula. He spent the rest of the visit filling notebooks with churchyard inscriptions, conversations with local fishermen, coast guard wreck reports, and descriptions of the harbour. Almost all of it appeared directly in the novel. The ship in Dracula that arrives in a storm and grounds on the shore is a fictionalised version of the Russian brigantine Dmitry, which ran aground at Whitby in October 1885. The black dog that comes ashore and runs up the 199 steps is Dracula himself, and the churchyard where Lucy Westenra sits sleepwalking is St Mary's, above the town.

Where should you eat in Whitby?

The harbour below the old town is a working fish market. Whitby's catch has shifted since the herring boom of the 19th century, with cod, haddock, and crab now the staples, but the quayside infrastructure is genuine rather than decorative. Fortune's Kippers at 22 Henrietta Street has been cold-smoking herrings in the same building and under the same family name since 1872. The kippers are sold over the counter and by mail order in wooden boxes, and the shop is small enough that you can see the smokehouse through the back. It is the last surviving traditional smokehouse in Whitby.

For fish and chips, Trenchers on New Quay Road was named the best fish and chip restaurant in the UK at the 2026 National Fish & Chip Awards, cooking in traditional beef dripping since 1980. The queue forms early on summer weekends. Magpie Cafe on Pier Road is the long-standing alternative with a loyal following. Eat outside when the weather allows and expect company from the gulls.

What should dog owners know before visiting Whitby?

Whitby suits dog owners who want a proper town rather than a resort, who are happy with harbourside walking and short cliff paths rather than open moorland, and who can plan around the seasonal beach restrictions on the main West Beach. The North York Moors National Park begins on the edge of town, and day walks onto the moor from Whitby are possible, but the town itself is the draw rather than the access point. It can get very busy in summer and very quiet in winter. Both versions are worth visiting. Tate Hill Beach, Upgang Beach, Sandsend, and Saltwick Bay have no seasonal restrictions and are accessible year-round for dogs.