Tell me about Whitby

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Picture a scene; after a bump on the head I wake up and find myself mysteriously in Whitby.

Luckily, I have some good books and knitting beside me and some money, but not lots. I can’t find my car keys, but some kind (or are they sinister?) soul has left me a bus ticket which will allow me to leave in 4 long days time.

Looking out of my window I can see a ruined abbey, so will definitely have a poke around there.

Where can I go for good walks and what should I do when it isn’t raining?

There are good walks for miles in either direction at Whitby. You definitely won't be short of walks

Yes to good walks, the old cinder path is fab, great views. Also great views at the Abbey, obviously, and the other side too, up by the whalebone. If you like quaint interesting shops Whitby has loads.

Hope that you aren't there in the height of summer, that's the only time its horrible, far too busy usually with some v rude tourists.

Get yourself to the museum in Pannet Park.

Definitely wander round the abbey. If you can't face the steps, there's a tourist bus that has an all day hop on/off ticket for about £7 (might be more now) that does a loop all round Whitby, up to the Abbey and along the West Cliff.

Cinder track is a nice walk.

You can take a 20min harbour cruise for under a fiver, and sometimes see seals and dolphins.

If you need to flee unexpectedly, a bus ticket to civilization will only cost you £2.

www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/read-this/ps2-bus-tickets-englands-sceic-most-bus-routes-from-bournemouth-to-york-see-the-list-3976898 - the route over the moors is amazing.

Fish and chips

www.amazingco.me/uk/experiences/mystery-picnics/friends/whitby

do the Whitby mystery picnic! It’s genuinely awesome!

The hand of glory in the museum in the park (at the top of west cliff?).
Walk up the many many steps to the abbey to eat your fish and chips.

Lie down in one of the grave shaped dips in the abbey. Be glad it's temporary. Then walk back down the steps for chocolate fountain.

Poke around the independent goth type shops on the cobbled streets.

Marvel at the many slot machine and candy floss trash shops.

Watch the donkeys... fish for crabs..l

That sounds great. it's a minimum 2 adults per booking though - not doable for solo travellers.

If the weather's kind a walk along the beach or on the cliffs to Sandsend is nice. Some lovely views from the clifftops north of Sandsend. Reasonable bus service to catch back if you've had enough walking.
Magpie Cafe in Whitby has a great menu, loads of choice.

Forgot to add, Cinder Track to Larpool Viaduct is a nice short walk from Whitby centre with lovely views.

Walk east from Whitby along the beach looking out for fossils in the rocks. You will come to the ruins of a shipwreck. More details of the wreck are in the rnli museum.
Eat fish and chips from the silver street chippy, much nicer than the more popular magpie chippy.

@SeaDreaming it depends how much you can eat 😂

we did the family one; I’ve not done the 2 people one.

The brewery next to the Abbey and down the 199 steps to the cornish pudding shop. There are a couple of lovely micro pubs down in the town too.

£60 for two, though!!

You can walk to Sandsend and back, and get lunch while you're there. You can also walk south to Robin Hoods Bay or inland - there's paths that follow the river.

Buy an OS map locally or sign up to a subscription.

Definitely get fish and chips. The internet and everyone else will tell you that The Magpie is best, but the downside of that is queues. I usually go somewhere else and just make sure the reviews are OK.

Hijacking to ask for recommendations for travellers with small kids- I'm going in the summer with my SIL and my 2.5 and 5.5 year olds x

As peevious poster, hope it is not July or August. I went in August 2021. It was busier than Oxford Street at Christmas in the 1980s.

Potter gently towards Sandsend and back, ideally picking up pretty shells and pebbles from the beach.

Look at the museum in Pannet Park and wander around the streets people watching. Smile at friendly goth folk.

Don’t worry if you are going in July/August, I assume you won’t be driving so it being a bit busy won’t matter. Plenty of space on the beach etc

Some (not all) of the steam trains on the North Yorks Moors railway go right to Whitby station which is a wonderful day out.

@picklemewalnuts i will confess it was a family Christmas present (and a few years ago) and I just posted the link and didn’t look at the current cost

it was good, but you’re right, I’m not sure it was that good!

It's a rare day that Whitby is not heaving busy. I went between Christmas and New Year once and I think everyone in Yorkshire had had the same idea. The weather was decent for North Yorkshire in late December, but still. I think I got the last parking space in the car park and queued for about 20 minutes mid afternoon (so not the lunchtime peak) to get fish and chips, and that wasn't even at the Magpie.

I only went to Whitby once, a few months ago. It rained so hard that my jacket soaked up about a pint or six of water.

I did find a very nice cocktail bar though, near the train station. I thoroughly recommend it!

We are going at the very end of August/ start of September. We are driving there but have an airbnb with private parking thankfully and don't intent to drive much once we're there (I want a fair few days of lunchtime wine 😀)

I love a walk to Sandsend and we've eaten at an Italian a few times that's always been nice it's called something like cosa nostra. We've also always had good cakes at Sandars Yard cafe.

The public toilets have to be paid for and are pretty disgusting. Pay £1 for a refillable coffee in the weatherspoons and use their facilities. Wish I had know this at the beginning of my last summer break 🤣