Exploring Whitby: A Photographic Journey

I first fell in love with Whitby before I’d ever been there.

As a kid, I read Robin Jarvis’s The Whitby Witches trilogy over and over until the spine cracked and the cover ripped off.

I finally visited the town in the summer of 1999, when I was 18, seeing with my own eyes the landmarks like the 199 steps (yes, I counted them…), the whale bone arch and the iconic Whitby Abbey ruins I’d read about and imagined in my head. 

But in the years since, I had forgotten the layout of the town. I had only a memory of seeing the swing bridge between the two banks of the river Esk, but that was about it. 

Twenty-seven years later, I walked into the Whitby Bookshop and bought a copy of The Whitby Witches again. I’ll reread it and I’ll be able to picture the places as they truly are. 

That’s because this time I brought my camera, and I had a day photographing the town. The following photos are what caught my eye, but if you’d like to see and hear more of Whitby, check out my Whitby walking tour video on YouTube.

Not only did I climb the 199 steps once, I went back up them later in the evening to capture the sunset as it glowed about the town, making it 398 steps I climbed that day. Here, I set my camera on a trip and set a 15 second shutter speed to capture the starbursts.

And the view a from a few steps down from the top.

Another 15-second exposure, this time down at the harbour. My aim was to capture the reflections on the water, since it’s the theme this month for the photography club I attend.

More reflections hunting at the harbour. This time, I was aiming to get the pink cloud reflected in the surface of the water.

Turning 180 degrees and facing out to sea past the two piers. Again, a 15-second exposure in order to get the surface of the water smooth.

The pier earlier in the day.

The ruins of the Abbey perched atop the cliff, access by the 199 steps.

Details of the Abbey.

Views back across the beach and the town.

Finally, the Whitby Bookshop, photographed in the reflection of a shop window pane for the reflection theme of my photography club.

If you’ve been to Whitby, leave a comment with your favourite landmarks and things to do there, and be sure to check out some of my other UK travel guides.