The harbour at Whitby is protected by two long stone piers that curve out into the North Sea. The current western pier was built in 1831–32 by Francis Pickernell, with a graceful tapered stone lighthouse at its head; the eastern pier and its lighthouse followed in the 1850s. Both piers were extended with steel-framed sections in the early 20th century.
The piers are open to walkers — about half a kilometre each — and the west pier in particular offers wide views back across the abbey and the town. On a windy day they get spectacularly wet; the steel pier extensions can be closed in storms. The walk to the end and back is one of the best free things to do in Whitby.