Whitby

Whitby
Town
View of Whitby from the West Cliff
Arms of Whitby Town Council featuring three green serpents (prior to 1935 depicted as ammonites).
Whitby Location within North Yorkshire
Population	13,213 (2011 census)[1]
OS grid reference	NZ893109
Civil parish	Whitby
Unitary authority	North Yorkshire
Ceremonial county	North Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WHITBY
Postcode district	YO21, YO22
Dialling code	01947
Police	North Yorkshire
Fire	North Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
UK Parliament	Scarborough and Whitby
List of places UK England Yorkshire 54°29′09″N 0°37′14″W / 54.4858°N 0.6206°W / 54.4858; -0.6206

Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy.

From the Middle Ages, Whitby had significant herring and whaling fleets,^[2][3] and was where Captain Cook learned seamanship. He first explored the southern ocean in HMS Endeavour, built there.^[4]

Alum was mined locally, and Whitby jet jewellery was fashionable during the 19th century.^{[citation needed]}

Tourism started in Whitby during the Georgian period and developed with the arrival of the railway in 1839. The abbey ruin at the top of the East Cliff is the town's oldest and most prominent landmark. Other significant features include the swing bridge, which crosses the River Esk and the harbour sheltered by grade II listed east and west piers. There are statues of Captain Cook and William Scoresby, and a whalebone arch on the West Cliff. Whitby featured in literary works including Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.

Whitby is 47 miles (76 km) from York and 22 miles (35 km) from Middlesbrough.