Tate Hill Beach from Whitby West Pier

The same lamp-post as yesterday rescued from its not very splendid isolation. The masts of the Grand Turk are clearly visible in the inner harbour. Follow the link for more on this replica ship.

The sands of time …

Another of Catherine de Compiègne's holiday snaps, showing the long beach from Whitby to Sandsend, and the closer Tate Hill sands down below in the outer harbour.

The Captain Cook monument and whalebone arch to the right of the white Royal Hotel are unfortunately not clearly visible even in the enlarged version.

The road below the hotel and monuments is amusingly named Khyber Pass, and the elevated area which forms the other side of the mini-valley, Spion Kop, after a Boer War battle. The Boers had the best of it on that occasion.

Strong knees needed!

If you saw yesterday's entry, you will have come up the steps from Blackburn's Yard and the pottery, taken a few pictures from the terrace overlooking the town, then come to this junction with the Donkey Path.

Ill-fated attempts by daft Donkey Path drivers to descend these cobbles by car show the power that technology too often has over reason. But we can be pretty stupid without the help of gadgets - and yes, my hand's up!

Turn right to climb to St. Mary's Parish Church and the abbey; left takes you down to Church Street. Amble along Henrietta Street first, where Fortune's smoke their kippers, and wander back along Tate Hill Beach. Hopefully you won't have to cope with these conditions, though a winter visit to a spot like this has some appeal.

Some of the famous 199 steps from Church Street to St. Mary's are just visible in this picture, the treader edges protruding over the top of this huge retaining wall, centre top of the picture. We'll climb them another time, perhaps when there's less risk of an accident. Mind how you go in the north of England today!