Whitby is a fishing town on the North Yorkshire coast, 47 miles from York, built into the steep sides of the River Esk where it meets the North Sea. The harbour divides the town in two: the old town on the east side is a tangle of narrow streets climbing the cliff, while the west side has a long sandy beach and the usual seaside amusements.
The ruins of Whitby Abbey dominate the headland above the east cliff, reached by the famous 199 steps from the old town. Bram Stoker stayed here in 1890 and used the abbey and harbour as the setting for Dracula's arrival in England — you can still see why he chose the spot. The graveyard of St Mary's Church, next to the abbey, is atmospheric enough on a grey afternoon.
Below the abbey, the old town is a maze of steep alleys lined with jet jewellery shops, fudge sellers, and tea rooms. Captain Cook served his apprenticeship in Whitby — his old lodgings are now the Captain Cook Memorial Museum — and a statue of him stands on the west cliff near the whalebone arch, a reminder of the town's whaling past. The Magpie Cafe on Pier Road has been serving fish and chips since the 1930s and regularly claims to be the best chippy in England.