Whitby news and updates on historic North Yorkshire seaside town
Whitby is known for its clifftop abbey and quaint, historic streets (Image: Provided)
Whitby is a picturesque seaside town on the North Yorkshire coast in England.
Known for its quaint harbour and dramatic clifftop abbey – which inspired parts of Bram Stoker’s Dracula - the town supports more a million visitors each year.
Independent businesses line its historic cobbled streets, which welcome the famous biannual Whitby Goth Weekend, among other festivals.
Latest Whitby news
People from across the world come to Whitby for its famed festivals
(Image: Simon McCabe Photography)
Travel
The town is an approximate hour’s drive from York and can be visited by train and bus.
It is commonly taken via the A64, followed by the A169.
Once in Whitby, road users are often stopped by the Whitby Swing Bridge, in Bridge Street.
Whitby Swing Bridge is set to close to cars for next five weekends
(Image: Kevin Glenton)
The 75-foot swing bridge, made in 1909, carries vehicles and pedestrians across the River Esk between Whitby’s east and west sides.
It is set to close at schedule times during the school summer holidays to protect pedestrian safety along the narrow walkway, and the local economy – with buses exempt from the order.
Award-winning food and drink
The town hosts multiple award-winning restaurants, cafes and bistros.
Among these are some prized fish and chip shops, including the Magpie Café, which was named one of the best in the region by The Telegraph in recent weeks.
Whitby is known for its prized fish and chips
(Image: Tripadvisor)
Whitby’s pub scene is also something to behold.
On his Great British Pub Crawl, Dale Harvey listed five of the town’s pubs.
On TV
Film crews are no strangers to Whitby’s iconic streets.
In June, Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year landed at the Whalebone Arch.
Fearne Cotton was spotted among the esteemed judges as co-host of the Sky Arts show
(Image: North Yorkshire Weather Updates)
Co-host Fearne Cotton was seen among the film crews.
It came after BBC Two descended on Whitby Abbey for its eighth series of Pilgrimage.
Beaches
It was named alongside Sandsend Beach, located three miles up the coast.
People sunbathing, playing in the sea and building sandcastles on Whitby Sands/West Cliff Beach on a sunny day
(Image: Molly Court/Newsquest)
The walk between the two beaches has long been hailed as one of the most sought after.
The town was named the ultimate escape for the summer holidays in 2025 by Sykes Holiday Cottages, and in the same year, was praised by Lonely Planet for its “quaint” seaside charm, among other features such as its magnificent Abbey and famous Magpie Café.