Whitby and Goathland

Whitby - what can I say? We had perfect weather for this visit. I have been to Whitby before, but I was so young that I have no recollection of it! But I have seen many photos of it, and of the Abbey in particular, and heard a lot about it, as my Dad's Aunt and Uncle owned a guesthouse here years ago, and he spent a lot of time here with his cousins. So Whitby is part of our family folklore.

The really old part of Whitby is on the east side of the harbour, but there is plenty to see on the west side, and that is where we started. We walked alongside the upper harbour, and then crossed the bridge to the east side, and walked up some of the old streets. We were lucky enough to see the bridge open to let a boat through.
One of the streets that we walked up on the east side is the one where Captain James Cook had lodgings, and the building is still there today.
Crossing back over the bridge, we walked along the side of the lower harbour, and then climbed to where Captain Cook's memorial statue overlooks the harbour. From here, there were really lovely views across to the Abbey on the other side, and out to sea.

In the afternoon, we crossed back to the east, and up to the ruins of Whitby Abbey which sits on the headland above the harbour. The first monastery on this site was founded in 657, but fell into ruin until it was re-established around 1070. After the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, the buildings were sold and the Abbey demolished, and these are the ruins that remain today. The Abbey Church was left, and still exists.

From Whitby, it is a short drive to Goathland, which is a very pretty little town, made famous by its use as a location for the TV series "Heartbeat". Goathland also has a station which is on the line for a steam engine service across North Yorkshire. This station has been the setting for the Hogwarts station in the Harry Potter movies, and we were in time to see two of the trains come through late this afternoon. So now I've seen the Hogwarts Express!!

The day ended with dinner with another cousin whom I have only met as a baby - our family seems to be spread right across the country!