Whitby Harbour
Whitby Harbour on the North Yorkshire coast is one of the most atmospheric and historically resonant of all British fishing harbours, a sheltered haven in the narrow mouth of the River Esk where fishing vessels, pleasure craft and the persistent presence of history create a townscape that has been inspiring writers, painters and visitors for centuries. The town divides between the west cliff, where the Victorian resort developed, and the old east side where the original fishing community established itself below the cliffs crowned by the ruined abbey and the ancient church of St Mary. The harbour's associations with exploration and adventure are remarkable. Captain James Cook, who made three voyages of Pacific exploration between 1768 and 1779 and charted the coasts of Australia, New Zealand and much of the Pacific, was born in the village of Marton a few miles inland and served his maritime apprenticeship in Whitby, learning seamanship and navigation on the coastal collier vessels that traded from the harbour. The Bark Endeavour, the vessel that carried Cook on his first Pacific voyage, was a Whitby-built collier, and the museum in the town dedicated to Cook's life and achievements makes clear how deeply the Whitby maritime tradition shaped one of the greatest navigators in history. Bram Stoker visited Whitby in 1890 and the harbour, the abbey ruins on the cliff above and the churchyard of St Mary's became the setting for key scenes in Dracula, published in 1897. The novel's Count arrives at Whitby harbour in the shape of a great black dog leaping from a storm-wrecked vessel, and the subsequent action in the town established Whitby permanently in Gothic literary geography. The association attracts Dracula enthusiasts and Gothic tourism from around the world, particularly during the biannual Whitby Goth Weekend which transforms the town. The fish and chip shops, the jet jewellery tradition unique to Whitby and the excellent North Sea seafood available at the harbourside restaurants complete a visitor experience of considerable richness.