What Else to See
If you are planning a visit, there’s lots to see in Whitby and in nearby Captain Cook Country
There is still more in York and North Yorkshire within easy driving distance.
Cook lived in the northeast of Yorkshire until he joined the Navy. It is a region of coast and moorland stretching 30 miles from modern Middlesbrough to Whitby. Because of its many associations, it is identified for visitors as ‘Captain Cook Country’.
An area of great beauty, of high cliffs, bays and open moorland, it is well worth a tour.
These sites mark the stages of Cook’s early life, before he came to Whitby:
Captain Cook Birthplace Museum
Marton, Middlesbrough 30 miles from Whitby. A modern building close to the site of the cottage where Cook was born. Complementary to us.
Schoolroom Museum
Great Ayton, a picturesque small town, 25 miles from Whitby. In a house of the period. Reconstructs the village school Cook attended. He spent his boyhood at Aireyholme Farm on the slopes of Rosebery Topping, the strange conical hill above the town.
The cottage that was built later by Cook’s father is now in Melbourne, Australia.
The Heritage Centre, Staithes
10 miles from Whitby, picturesque fishing village. The shop where Cook worked was washed away long ago. The Heritage Centre is an Aladdin’s cave of nauticalia.
Among the many places to see in Whitby are:
Whitby Abbey
The ruined medieval abbey high above the town.
St. Mary’s Church
A gem of a parish church beside the Abbey. The famous 199 steps lead to it.
The Whitby Museum
A museum of a museum. Collections cover everything from fossils, natural history, jet, shipping and social history, to costume.
Pannett Art Gallery
In the same building as Whitby Museum. 19th and 20th century paintings, including dramatic seascapes by the Weatherills.
The Lifeboat Museum
Along Pier Road with stories of famous rescues
Museum of Whitby Jet
In the heart of the old town, with fabulous collections of this famous local product