Discover Whitby, North Yorkshire

Whitby, North Yorkshire, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:East_Cliff.JPG
Author: J3Mrs


Whitby is a seaside town in Scarborough district, on the coast of North Yorkshire, England. It has a population of around 15,000 people (2012 estimate).

The history of Whitby goes back to AD 656, when Oswy the Christian king of Northumbria, founded the first abbey there, under the abbess Hilda. This was the beginning of Whitby Abbey the following year. At that time, the settlement was called Streonshal. In 664 the Synod of Whitby was held there. In 867 Viking raiders plundered Streonshal and destroyed the abbey. When the abbey was re-founded in 1079, it was named Whitby Abbey. The name Whitby is Old Norse for "white settlement", and the village around the abbey also took on that name.

River Eck, Whitby: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:River_Esk_at_Whitby_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1467412.jpg
Author: Andrew Curtis


Whitby was a small fishing village which expanded in the 18th century, when it became a site for the shipbuilding and whaling industries. At one time, it was the third largest shipbuilding center in England behind London and Newcastle. In addition, it had an alum industry, founded in the 16th century by English naturalist Thomas Chaloner. These various enterprises made Whitby one of the wealthier towns in the area.

The location of three chalybeate springs in Whitby enabled Whitby to also develop into a spa town during the Georgian period. The construction of the Whitby and Pickering Railway in 1839 allowed the town to receive more visitors. This was the beginning of tourism as a form of recreation in Whitby.

Today tourism remains the mainstay of Whitby's economy, which is also supported by fishing. The geographic location of Whitby puts it in an isolated positon, leading to brain drain of the younger generation.

Church Street, Whitby: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Church_Street_-_geograph.org.uk_-_545568.jpg
Author: Stephen McCulloch

Visiting Whitby

From London, take the A1(M) motorway to Junction 45, then continue east on the A64 road to York. Passing York, continue on the A64 until junction to the A169 road at Norton. Head north on the A169 road to reach Whitby.

Places of Interest in Whitby

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About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

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