Whitby lies on the East coast and was once one of Englands busiest ports, being successful in not only Fishing but also Ship building and was once a busy Whaling port, and records show that up to the 1830s Whitby  had landed over 3,000 whales in this one port alone. There still remains a set of Whale jaw bones (replaced in 2003) on the East cliff as a reminder of the ports past link with the whaling industry. Whitby has also a set of 199 steps leading from the old part of town to the West Cliff top where the Abbey is situated, also at the top of the steps is the old church of St Marys and this church is well worth looking into as it has the most unusual seating, the pews are surrounded by high wooden boards (see photo). In the old part of town you can buy the famous Whitby Jet, objects such as jewellery are made from this mineral (possibly a form of Carbon) that is found in the area and looks very similar to another black mineral-coal!
Whitbys most famous man has to be Captain Cook the explorer, he was not born in Whitby but in Marston in 1728,  his career with the sea started here, he started out working on small cargo ships before joining the Royal navy in 1755 and was to Captain such famous ships as the Endeavour, Resolution, Adventure and Discovery. There is  a statue of Captain Cook on the West Cliff which was unveiled in his memory in 1912 (see photo).