Whitby Off The Beaten Path

Just north of Whitby is Sandsend - there is not a lot to see or do here but the beach is very good and it is a pleasant village. There are a few pubs , shops and cafes but not much else - go for a good beach.
Unfortunatly parking is awful - we have driven in and then out again many tines because there was just no where to park. If you are in Whitby and want to go - take the bus.

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I still dont know if you can get these elsewhere you certainly can 99's but parmesans seem to be a middlesbrough specific thing however I have seen one in a takeaway at whitby.

Firstly a 99 is an ice cream cone, with vanilla ice cream topped with a cadburys flake- originally named as they cost 99p but no anymore! Also try a lemon top - simply its a lemon sauce/ice creams ontop of your vanilla ice cream.

Whitby rock is lovely - you will find it all over in the whitby shops - try John Bulls Stores for the best stuff - Its extremly sugary and now comes in many flavours - li

A parmesan you will get from a takeaway pizza shop. A Parmo is a deep-fryed flattened chicken or pork fillet in an egg and breadcrumb batter, smothered in Bechamel sauce, topping off with (usually cheddar or sometimes parmesan) cheese and then grilling or baking in the pizza oven.

It may seem like a simply normal thing but I have discovered in recent years the idea of eating fish and chips wrapped in newspaper with your hands can be quite absurd. In my experience though they never tasted any better. Its especially nice at whitby as there fish and chips are extra great, but also the sea air just adds to the flavour. Try a takeaway from the quayside and magpie restraurants for extra nice ones as they are some of the best in the town, and also come in plastic boxes with wooden forks, slightly less weird than newspaper but nice and authentic still. However beware of sea gulls who will try and steal your chips!!

York is capital of the north and one of the world's most fascinating cities. Built by the Roman 9th legion, its life began as a fortress then grew into an important city called Eboracum. Constantine the Great, who later went on to found Constantinople, was made Roman Emperor. It was later the Vikings who named York which came from the name Jorvik or Yorwik. York is an ancient cathedral city famous for the Roman Walls that surround the city and the medieval streets.

You will find the Jorvik Viking Museum, the National Railway Museum (which includes some of the country's most famous steam locomotives) and the most celebrated attraction in York, York Minster. The Cathedral is one of Britain's finest examples of ecclesiastical gothic architecture.

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There's a very well-known footpath that connects Whitby with Robin Hood Bay, following the North Sea coastline for several miles to the south of town. I've heard that's its an excellent excursion, but I just did not have the time to go very far on the trail, and I also didn't have the right footwear. When I get back to this part of England, I'd like to be prepared better so that I enjoy the pleasure of a good walk through the North Yorkshire countryside.

Up until a few years ago, the landmark to look for on nearing Whitby, was a trio of enlarged golf balls, which were often spookily surrounded by swirls of fog/sea mist. Fylingdales MOD early warning system! Someone in their wisdom decided it was time to get rid of this 'national treasure' and we now appear to have an Inca temple in their place!

Well, the Moors outskirting Whitby are certainly atmospheric, wild, barren and isolated, making the journey here quite memorable!

If you are visiting Whitby and have a bit of spare time take a short trip to Goathland a lovely little village in the North Yorkshire Moors which features in a British tv programme called Heartbeat. Heartbeat is set in the 1960's and is known for all the hits of that era to be played as background music.
It has a little museum showing exhibits from Heartbeat, and you can see the pub, the garage and post office which are used in the tv series.
From Whitby take the A171 west for about a mile and then take the A169 for about 7 miles straight into Goathland.

Again, 50 pence handed over to the Tourist Information Office, buys you this handy guide to an hours walk around the sights of Whitbys West side.

As steps are involved it could be difficult for wheelchair users, but detours could make it possible.

The tour starts from Station Square (Bus/Train stations), and leads onto the Bridge, Baxtergate,Flowergate,Cliff Street, The Whalebones, Khyber Pass, West Pier, Pier Road, Marine Parade and back to the Bridge.

This trail gives an insight into the fishing / sailing heritage of Whitby, plus the development of Whitby as a town/ holiday resort.