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LOCATION 1
Captain Cook Statue
Hello - my name is Devon. I'll be your guide today and yes, this is really the way I talk. Before you set off allow me to give you a background to the story of this remarkable town. Take a seat and...
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LOCATION 2
East Terrace
Keep going.
You'll still be able to see the Abbey across the water to your left.
I told you that the original Abbey dates from 657 - but why was it erected here in Whitby?
During Saxon ti...
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LOCATION 3
Cross East Terrace
Turn right now to safely cross the road and head up the right side of Hudson Street. You should see another Church at the end of the road.
You won't be going as far as the church but I'll tell y...
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LOCATION 4
Hudson Street
The church ahead of you is St Hilda's Church. St Hilda is very important here in Whitby.
You're probably noticing that Whitby has a lot of churches. The main reason for this is because we are a ...
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LOCATION 5
Cross Hudson Street
I don't want you to cross the road ahead - instead cross the road to your left hand side.
Again, you should be able to see a church steeple - keep on walking in this direction.
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LOCATION 6
Skinner Street Top
Keep going straight.
The number of guest houses show the popularity of Whitby as a tourist destination. However, the first major industry here was alum mining.
Alum is a mineral used in the d...
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LOCATION 7
The Granby and Botham's
You'll be coming onto Skinner Street now and will be able to see the Granby pub. It gets its name from a coal transporting vessel named the Marquis of Granby, built here in Whitby by Thomas Fishbur...
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LOCATION 8
Skinner Street Bottom
Skinner Street, where you are now, was the location for Frank Meadow Sutcliffe's established gallery. The Victorian photographer is well celebrated here in Whitby and his works adorn the homes of m...
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LOCATION 9
Cross Flowergate
Cross the road ahead, towards the park, then turn right and continue walking.
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LOCATION 10
St Hilda's Terrace
The houses you can see over the road are some of the most impressive here in Whitby. Look out for my house! The beautiful Georgian one with 8 bedrooms.
I'm joking of course - I was born on the E...
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LOCATION 11
Pannett Park
In the centre of Pannett Park, to your left, you'll find the Whitby Museum and Art Gallery.
The museum has some pretty interesting trinkets - from local fossils and model ships to Saxon items f...
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LOCATION 12
Union Mill
Take the first left when you get to the roundabout.
Before heading downhill do look across the roundabout and look for the building with the blue dome on top.
This is Union Mill - in the 19th...
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LOCATION 13
Chubb Hill
You're now heading down Chubb Hill.
I told you the Museum has lots of interesting exhibitions, but also make sure you take a look in the Weatherill Gallery whilst you're here in Whitby. It's fr...
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LOCATION 14
Low Chubb Hill
The houses to your right down this street are Victorian. Again, a lot of them are guesthouses now but in 1901 those living here were master mariners and ship owners as well as solicitors and even a...
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LOCATION 15
Bagdale
Take a left - heading towards the town centre.
Keep on the left hand side of the road as this will give you a more elevated perspective.
You're now on Bagdale, formerly known as the more unco...
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LOCATION 16
Bagdale Spa
Behind the line of houses to your right is Bagdale Spa, dating from Victorian times.
Whitby never successfully sold itself as a spa town, like Harrogate, because it far too isolated before the ...
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LOCATION 17
Lower Pannett
Looking up to you left you'll spot a Parthenon-style building in the park. It wasn't always totally exposed as you see it now - however a number of people were doing things they shouldn't do in the...
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LOCATION 18
Scoresby Plaque
Keep a look out on your left here for the Blue Plaque commemorating William Scoresby Snr's house. The plaque is on the wall outside the property - right next to a gate.
Once you've had a good l...
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LOCATION 19
Bagdale Hall
Over the road on you'll be able to see Bagdale Hall.
Now a hotel and restaurant, this impressive building was originally a Tudor manor house dating back to 1516.
This is notable as Whitby ha...
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LOCATION 20
Church of St John the Evangelist
And here we have... another church. This time the Church of St John the Evangelist. Stop here for a moment in front of it.
The church was completed in 1850 - this Anglican church has an early En...
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LOCATION 21
Baxtergate Cottages
During the day this street can be used by cars so please be careful. Stop for a moment and take a look at the cute pair of cottages on your left.
The first cottage you come to is the setting fo...
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LOCATION 22
Baxtergate End
You're going turn right ahead - between the wet-fish shop and Whitby Way pub. Just wait here for a moment though because there's a few things worth pointing out.
The Whitby Way is a play on the ...
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LOCATION 23
Railway Station
Turn left at the end of the road.
Straight ahead is Whitby's railway station.
It was opened in 1847 but more interestingly when works were done here in the early 1990s to the station building...
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LOCATION 24
Town Centre
You'll be able to see the tall ship in the harbour - the replica Endeavour.
Safely cross the road and head towards this area - you'll see the war memorial and plenty of seats.
On your left as...
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LOCATION 25
Dock End
Welcome to Dock End - this is a great open area especially when the sun is shining.
This is the location where I start my walking tours. As you hear my voice now you might actually see me. I loo...
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LOCATION 26
New Quay Road
The Angel Inn across the road is one of the oldest pubs here in Whitby - historically called the Angel Vaults. Today it's a Wetherspoons.
In the early 1800s this was a popular location for cockf...
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LOCATION 27
Harbourside
Stop here for a moment.
Across the car park to your left you'll see a tall, terracotta brick gable-end.
The cafe there now is called Hetty & Betty and this was the location for Whitby's very ...
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LOCATION 28
Times Square
Welcome to Times Square - the centre of the world!
Not quite, I know but this is perhaps Whitby's true centre. Let's stop here for a moment.
In this area the roads of Baxtergate, Flowergate a...
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LOCATION 29
Swing Bridge
Stop here on the bridge.
The bridge dates from 1909 although we believe some form of bridge has existed here for close to 1000 years.
The swing bridge is regularly opened for harbour traffic...
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LOCATION 30
Grape Lane
Turn right into Grape Lane - before this Grope Lane.
The family friendly version of the tour will tell you this comes from the narrowness of the street. In the dark its hard to see and therefor...
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LOCATION 31
Captain Cook Museum
You'll now see the Captain Cook Museum, on your right. Have a good look into the windows - we'll be having a short stop.
Many will incorrectly tell you this was 'Captain Cook's house' - this is ...
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LOCATION 32
Bridge Street
The Humble Pie and Mash shop on your left dates from the 16th century and these buildings are quite unique even for a historic town like Whitby.
Keep going, safely crossing Bridge Street ahead a...
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LOCATION 33
Church Street
Stop here for a moment and look very carefully on top of the Market Place's clock tower - you should see a weather vane. Where you'd expect to see a cockerel however, there is a fish. It will be no...
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LOCATION 34
Market Place
You might want to shelter underneath the columned building on your left if its raining - otherwise enjoy the sunny day on the cobbles.
This impressive building also dates from 1788 and the archi...
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LOCATION 35
Upper Church Street
On your right you'll see the old Wesley Hall - today its the Museum of Whitby Jet. Stop in front of it.
Church Street is unquestionably Whitby's most famous street.
I suppose you could call t...
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LOCATION 36
Church Street Top
The road will be narrowing now - if its busy then you'll be travelling at a slower pace.
Up to your left you'll see a sign for Caedmon Cottages: it won't be long now until you meet him.
We'e...
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LOCATION 37
Tate Hill Pier
Welcome to Tate Hill Pier - claimed to be the oldest pier in the world.
The pier is believed to have been here since 1190 however, its a little bit like Archimedes' ship - it been redeveloped a...
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LOCATION 38
Caedmon
You should be approaching an area with a few benches. Look out for Caedmon and take a good look at him. We'll have a short stop here.
Caedmon was a cowsherd at Whitby Abbey during the time of St...
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LOCATION 39
Henrietta Street
You're now on Henrietta Street. The, mostly holiday cottages, on your left hand side boast some of the finest views here in Whitby.
Henrietta Street is named after the wife of Nathaniel Chomley ...
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LOCATION 40
East Cliff
There's another seating area here and you might want to take a seat.
Nice view eh? Unless of course you're visitant on a foggy day. If so - I can only apologize.
You should be able to see a ...
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LOCATION 41
199 Steps
You'll be wondering why 199 steps? Sadly, there is no reason behind the number. If you can't be bothered to count them - look for a small metallic disc on the left-hand side of the steps. Here you ...
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LOCATION 42
Along the Churchyard path
Keep on following this path and we'll take a walk around the church.
You'll finish the tour close by and I encourage you to come back to the church yard and take this path right the way to the e...
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LOCATION 43
St Mary's Churchyard
Stop and take a look over to the West Side where you have walked from.
St Mary's Churchyard is perhaps most famous because Simply Red's Holding Back The Years music video was filmed here in 1985...
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LOCATION 44
St Mary's Church
Keep going around the church.
The first church was built on this site in 1110 but the design of the tower and transepts you are now seeing date from the 11th and 12th centuries. There has been r...
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LOCATION 45
Away from St Mary's Church
Where the path forks head left towards the Abbey.
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LOCATION 46
Whitby Abbey
The ruins of Whitby Abbey should be looking a lot bigger than they did at the start of the tour.
The ruined abbey you are seeing dates not from the days of St Hilda's Abbey - sadly none of this...