Seen from the Donkey Path

The outer harbour viewed from the east-side Donkey Path. The huge wall on the right retains the 199 steps leading to St Mary's church and Whitby abbey. An enlargement will show that the mid-autumn chill does not deter tourists from visiting this popular resort.

What goes up …

must come down, and here we are at the bottom of the 199 steps which lead to and from St Mary's Church and Whitby abbey. Church Street is straight ahead and immediately left; Henrietta Street, famous  for Fortune's kipper-smoking shed, is to the right. There are not too many tourists this early in the morning, but in a couple of hours it will be weaving rather than walking through the town.

A little Whitby night view

A first excursion into night-time photography which demonstrates how difficult it is to keep the camera steady without a tripod . This is Whitby from the east side, near the bottom of the 199 steps and looking over the harbour. It's no wonder it's such a popular destination; the town itself has many attractions and then there is so much to see and do nearby: Scarborough, Robin Hoods Bay,  Goathland for Heartbeat and Harry Potter fans, the North Yorkshire Moors centre at Danby, great walking, the Roman road, Pickering - endless!

But every silver lining has a dark cloud: the popularity of the town has led to a rise in house prices in recent years as the demand for holiday lets has intensified, making it difficult for local first-time buyers to get onto the property ladder.

Whitby, 199: The First Step

The Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps

Through the keyhole …

Another classic view, this time from the tunnel under Spion Kop. We are looking eastwards to St Mary's Church and Whitby Abbey, with the 199 steps clearly visible. 

Pretty classic

Another classic view with the 199 steps in the centre. 

New Year's Resolution

A long overdue picture of Captain James Cook, this first one from behind to take in the 199 steps, church and abbey. The Resolution is Cook's ship, sculpted into the pedestal. There was no obliging seagull perched on his head today, but plenty of evidence of their presence.

Harbourside reds

This is the blog's first photograph from the harbourside to the east cliff. St Mary's church needs no introduction: here she is again looking more than a little like a castle.

I like the cheering effect of the three bright red spots in this scene; it was a damp, grey day of the kind we don't often get in Whitby. Strange! My nose suddenly feels a little longer!

Cædmon's cross is clearly visible to the right of the church, at the top of the 199 steps. The town looks deserted here, but I had to wait a while for the human traffic to move on before I had a clear shot.

Impressive from any angle

St Mary's again, from the Flowergate end of Cliff Street, just above Somerfield's car park. In front of the houses just below the church is the terrace from which Wednesday's picture was taken.

The 199 steps are visible, snaking up from Church Street, as is the cliff, down which have hurtled the contents of more than a few graves over the years. Future occurrences have been avoided by resiting those at risk.

Snowy moors

There is a lot more snow on the hills at the moment than in this picture, but this one nevertheless gives an idea of the situation of the town from the other direction, showing why it is so easily cut off in bad weather. We have already looked up the coast towards Sandsend Nab, the section of headland jutting out into the sea where, not surprisingly,  the sands end.

I mentioned the marina yesterday: it is clearly visible here, just below centre left, viewed from St Mary's church yard, just after the top of the 199 steps. If you've been following these pictures, you'll know that the cobbled Donkey Path is just over the wall.

Doves on Caedmon's Cross

Symbols of peace from Cædmon's cross, at the top of the 199 steps, to wish you that very thing, not only during this Christmas season, but always.

Bakehouse Yard 2

Come up the yard from the Haggersgate end and pass number 9 on your left - see yesterday's entry. Make a mental note of the cottages that are up for sale and tell yourself to pick up a property paper before the end of the day.

The cobbles are slippery today, so hang on to the railing as you come up the steps - no-one has been out to remove the ice. Pause at the top of the second flight and turn to take in the scene.

This is what makes Whitby such a delight; the steepness of the valley means that there are frequent surprise views to the other side of town, to St Mary's and the abbey from the west, or to St Hilda's, the whalebone arch or the Cook statue from the east. In addition to these tantalising glimpses over rooftops or through vennels and archways,  panoramic sweeps of harbour, hills, cliffs and beaches  can be enjoyed from unencumbered vantage points such as the 199 steps on the east, and Spion Kop on the west.

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!

Saved from demolition

Day three is dedicated to our friend Catherine, from Compiègne, France, whose visit to Whitby this summer helped us re-live our own first encounters with this delightful seaside town 13 years ago.

It is difficult to believe today that this part of Blackburn's Yard was once scheduled for reconstruction, for which read demolition. A change of administration saved this lovely terrace which is now Grade II listed. The award-winning community garden shown here was once the site of other cottages which were beyond repair.

Blackburn's Yard serves as a quiet, though steep, alternative route to and from St. Mary's church and the abbey; Church Street and the 199 steps can be shoulder to shoulder in high season, which is why locals do their shopping early in the morning. The yard route leads to a terrace, giving good views over the town, and then to the steep cobbled path which will appear in tomorrow's entry.

Just out of view in this picture is the working pottery itself; there is usually a pretty display of its wares hanging on the walls and spread over the pavement, providing half the charm of the yard. For more (and better) pictures of the yard, go to:

Pottery Cottage

but be warned, it is a commercial site and you might be tempted to abandon Tenerife in favour of Whitby!

Wash House Pottery was created by Laureen Shaw in 1982 and features on the Brigantia website.

Wash House Pottery

Time and time

I'm dedicating this second entry to last year's 7F (Mrs. Sharp's tutor-group) at Cædmon School, Whitby; they made a six-week stint on supply such fun - some of the time!

Two visions of time: minutes and hours represented by Bagshawe's clock on Flowergate; eternity by the abbey ruins on the east cliff. The fact that the 13th century Benedictine abbey is a ruin does not detract from the long-term vision of its builders, though one might wonder whether that vision was as pure as St. Hilda's in the 7th.

She was a remarkably energetic woman, noted for her wisdom and humility. Her recognition and encouragement of Cædmon's poetic gift bear witness to her egalitarian Christian spirit. That's Cædmon on the left of the page, as represented on the cross at the top of the 199 steps. There is also a transcription of his famous Hymn of Creation, of which there are many translations available on the web.

We found the visitor centre at the abbey much improved on our return to Whitby, and well worth the climb. It is accessible by car, of course. On a completely different note, Woolworths is no more! The store was situated just down the hill from Bagshawe's; it is now an outdoor clothing shop.

Well, time presses …