With many of its urban locales (here's looking at you, London, Manchester, and Edinburgh) so world famous, it can be easy for visitors to forget that Britain is an island. It happens to be one of the world's largest islands too, with an astounding 11,000-plus mile coastline, which has helped shape its history and personality at nearly every turn.
No trip here is truly complete without a stop by the sea. When it comes time to pick a place to visit, you will find both rambunctious spots full of Coney Island-style pursuits and quiet, tucked-away places ideal for hiding behind a wall of crashing waves.
And then there are places like Whitby. Well, I take that back, there aren't any places in Britain like Whitby, as this Yorkshire coast town possesses a unique mix of history, eccentricity and natural beauty.
Cook's Quarters
One of the most famous explorers to ever ply the world's waters, Captain James Cook cut his teeth in the sea around Whitby. He came from a nearby village but was taken under the wing of local shipowners in Whitby, who trained him to be a seaman and are said to have lodged him at their harborside home.
Today, the residence has been turned into the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, which is dedicated to educating all who visit about the famous seafarer and his travels of discovery.
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Abbey on the Hill
While Whitby may have its share of arcades bedazzled in blinking lights and a harbor full of fishing boats, it is the moody ruins of Whitby Abbey that truly give this town its personality.
The abbey was founded in the 7th century and looks down upon the town from a rocky perch above. While weather and wars have certainly taken their toll on her, it is has been voted the most romantic ruin in Britain, and a trip up the 199 steps to reach her is a must-do when visiting.
Count Connection
The abbey is so bewitching that it inspired the legendary writer Bram Stoker. The author spent time in Whitby during the research stage of Dracula and was so taken with the haunting allure of the ruins that he immortalized them in his story.
In Stoker's book, Count Dracula arrives in England in the form of a 'large dog' and scales the steps to the abbey. This connection to Count Dracula has made Whitby a hub for goth get-togethers and vampire tourism, adding a unique personality streak to the town you won't find anywhere else on the coast.
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Kipper Country
You aren't allowed to come to the seaside in England without feasting on some seafood, and kippers are king in Whitby. At the foot of the aforementioned 199 steps, you find Fortune's Kippers, which has been smoking these tiny tasty fish over oak since 1872.
If the kippers aren't enough to satisfy your hunger, there are also a host of fish & chip shops frying up the day's catch.
Seaside Steamer
Getting to Whitby can be half the fun if you take the historic North Yorkshire Moor Railway, for which Whitby is the terminus. This heritage line features vintage steam and diesel trains that chug through some of Yorkshire's most beautiful countryside and even features a stop at a station that appeared in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
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