A Windy Walk in Whitby and Another Fish & Chip Lunch

14Apr
by Cherryl

A winter walk on a windy day in Whitby (as well as being a good tongue twister) is always a good idea if you want to see some North Yorkshire waves getting wild and active. That –  coupled with being one of the UK’s most highly ranked seaside towns.

The beaches are not white and powdery, but Whitby’s quiet charm, character (and good fish and chips) more than make up for that! Here’s a quick refection.

Wandering around Whitby

I remember going on a Whitby school trip back in the day and we all loved it, that was in the summer time, and I bought one of those snow globe type souvenirs…..I must find it, currently another ‘forgotten souvenir’.

Whitby is less than hour away from Scarborough’s main town on the UK’s east coast, in North Yorkshire, and anyone who has been to Whitby before will know just how picturesque and quaint it is, cute and cosy, with old fashioned sweet shops, pastry shops, pubs and quaint gift shops in every little nook and cranny of the town centre.

Some of the narrow and steep cobbled streets reminded me of York a little bit, packed with unique shops around the main fishing boat harbour, and the classic climb up the iconic steps to the peak where Whitby Abbey sits proudly is a must – here’s a mounted A4 photograph I bought (still wrapped in plastic and yet to be framed):

Hold on to your hats

When I say it was a ‘windy walk in Whitby’ I don’t just mean typical blustery winter day wind. No. We’re talking something that felt like gale force winds in your face, beating you up!! The wind was extremely strong  on the sea front up close to the sea that day – everyone was having to stop and battle against the mighty gusts at times,  blowing you off your feet or off to the left or right if you weren’t careful.

There were times we had to just stop and brace until the force of the wind eased off just enough to plough onwards.

You could taste the sea salt on your lips!

What’s for lunch?

It’s Whitby, and its the seaside, so it’s got to be a customary fish and chip lunch/dinner right?

Fish and chips at the iconic Magpie Cafe ranked an easy 10/10, highly recommended and well worth the queue outside to get in.

I was still feeling full the next day….talk about huge portions, but all delicious and perfectly cooked and presented. Everyone leaves an empty plate – unless you struggle with getting it all down.

Of course – you can find other plenty of other things to eat as well.

Whitby is also a very dog-busy place, almost everyone seemed to be walking a dog, and the dogs were clearly loving their Whitby walks.

Whitby Abbey

From the main town it’s a steep walk up those landmark steps to get to Whitby Abbey.

There are farms, fields and no doubt more beautiful views up there, beyond Whitby Abbey if you decide to keep walking further out and yonder.

Below: the blurry zoomed-in phone shots of Whitby Abbey as evening began to fall do look a bit eerie with the full moon, in fact the abbey has an eerie feel about it in general – not surprising then that Bram Stoker found inspiration there!

Dinosaurs?

Apparently you can find dinosaur fossils in Whitby!

Is this real?

Getting there

The drive from Scarborough’s town centre to Whitby gives you beautiful views of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park – plus, it was like being on ‘the big dipper’. Some of those beautiful county roads had surprisingly steep climbs and equally steep drops, making your stomach flutter.

There’s a bus (X93) that goes from outside Scarborough train station directly to Whitby – £2 single journey at the time. I think there’s also a route that goes on through to and back from Middlesborough (or that might be the train).

Wishing you lots of happy walks 🤗 x

21 thoughts on “A Windy Walk in Whitby and Another Fish & Chip Lunch”

  7. Terry – I'm a retired career nurse. My passions include: spending time with family, travel, nature, photography, cooking, baking, learning new things, and last but far from least, power walking. **All photos posted in my blog are my own unless I’ve attached a photo credit**

    Terry

    For some reason, when I follow the link to this post, it keeps cycling rapidly and won’t allow me to read. It’s not happening with other blogs this morning, Cheryl so I’m not sure what’s up. I’ll try again later because from your feature photo and title, I’m intrigued.

    Reply
  8. Carolyn Page – Hunter Valley Australia – Hello, I am Carolyn Page, a Lightworker and Spiritual Medium. 'The Collective Consciousness' (those I represent) and I would like to guide you through the steps of ridding yourself of fear.

    Carolyn Page

    I loved Whitby – the history, the village, Captain Cook museum, the cobbled streets. Even the 199 steps up to the Church ruins were worth every bit of energy needed to climb to the top.
    A great view and a magical day.

    Reply
  9. Awakening Wonders – Everyday life is filled with wondrous things and embraceable moments, but only if we allow ourselves to be fully awakened. I invite you to join me as I share passionate life adventures and ramblings that awaken my spirit. I look forward to awakening your senses to the simple, joyous wonders that are all around us. I feel that we are destined to become soulful adventurers!

    Awakening Wonders

    This is my type of place to get lost at!! Love the charm of the village and the coastline filled with wonder!

    Reply
  10. jennygracespoetryandcreativewritingtechniques – I am a published poet and short story writer. I have been published in SNHU's the penmen review. https://penmenreview.com/author/jenny-andrews is the link where you can find my poetry and a short story. Currently, I am writing a collection of short stories, and a collection of poetry. I am trying my hand at writing a novel. Well, not a novel, actually. Make that two novels. My passion is writing. My inspiration is Franz Krafka because he managed to see the absurdity of life. Life is all about perspective and who is telling the story. We all see this life through the lens of our experiences. Literature should inspire us to think, to analyze, and to get lost in unfamiliar worlds in which we learn something new about this human existence. It is my hope that my writing challenges the reader to think, and to see a different perspective, as well as be entertained. My faith in Jesus strengthens me and gives me the courage to survive the twists and turns of this life. My faith influences a lot of my writing in that goodness always triumphs over evil, in that love conquers all. I hope you enjoy reading my blog.

    jennygracespoetryandcreativewritingtechniques

    I really enjoyed the photos and details of Whitby. I’d certainly like to go oneday.

    Reply
  11. Sheila Landry Designs – Meteghan River, Nova Scotia, Canada – I am an artist and designer of decorative painting patterns, woodworking patterns, needlework and embroidery kits and patterns, and original artwork. My Painting and Wood Surfaces for Decorative Painting is at my "Tole Painting Designs" Website My partner Keith Fenton and I sell our scroll saw patterns at our Scroll Saw Pattern website: "Sheila Landry Designs" My needlework patterns and supplies are available at my Etsy shop: "The Stitching Kitty"

    Sheila Landry Designs

    Oh my! What a beautiful place! (Wind and all!) It reminds me of the settings of some of the stories I read. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. I just love your post! <3 Have a happy week!

    Reply
  14. kagould17 – Not much to tell. After working for 3 companies over 43+ years (38 years 7 months with my last company), I finally got that promotion I had waited my entire career for……retirement. I have been exploring this new career for the past 7+ years and while it is not always exciting, the chance to do what I want for myself and my family instead of what my company wants has been very fulfilling. Early on, there was a long list of projects in my “to-do” hopper and I attacked these projects with a vengeance for the first 9 months of retirement. Eventually, my brain told me that this was not what retirement was about, so it took me another 5 months before my industriousness again took over and I attacked another line of projects, this time somewhat shorter and less complicated, as well as many new projects related to the family weddings in 2016. After going hard for 6 weeks and 3 weddings, my body was telling me to relax, then the flu bug hit and as soon as that was done with me, my sciatic acted up. No rest for the wicked. In 2020 and 2021, the Covid 19 pandemic changed the whole retirement gig. I was lucky to not be still working, for sure. I enjoy photography, gardening, working with my hands, walking, cycling, skiing, travelling, reading and creating special photo and video productions obtained in my first pastime. I may never become wealthy in any of these pursuits, but I already feel I am rich in life experiences far beyond any expectation.

    kagould17

    Looks well worth a visit Cheryll. Good views of town and coast, lots of quaint shops and best of all, good fish and chips. Thanks for sharing and a Happy Sunday to you. Allan

    Reply

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