Whitby is a town with links to most historic events in Britain's history and was also loved by many famous people who lived or came to visit here . The Blue Plaques show where these people lived in Whitby and also buildings of historic interest. There are other buildings which are also of great interest but do not have a Blue Plaque because they are already so well known, possess an earlier plaque or are on our list for consideration for a future Blue Plaque.
The plaques are in different parts of the town and an attempt to see all of them in one go would be quite demanding. We have decided to split them into manageable walks.This walk starts in the East Side but includes some of the West Side
Any first visit to Whitby should take in Whitby's famous ruined abbey. with its very interesting interpretation centre. Leaving the abbey you will see on your right the parish church of St. Mary. Going down the 199 Steps you have a magnificent view of the West Cliff part of the town. At their bottom are two streets, on your right is Henrietta Street . On your left is Church Street, one of the oldest streets in Whitby.On your left you will see the former Methodist Hall, now a shop. A little further on you come to a square on the right called the New Market. It has a very interesting building now the Art centre but formerly the place where the Court Leet met where minor offences were tried. There is an inscription on the opposite side giving information on its builders. The shop opposite is interesting as it was one of the early Whitby banks
On the left hand side of Church Street are yards where the land belonging to the building on the street were infilled during the years of prosperity and growth. A little further on is the former hostelry, the White Horse and Griffin. Go on to the end of the street and then cross over to the other side. Almost immediately you will see a shop called Artifact ,which dates from the 14th century.Continuing our walk along the road, past the former Quakers Meeting House. These houses are also of medieval origin and continue round the corner until you come to Grape Lane. The first house on the left is the Captain Cook Museum .
At the end of the street go on to the bridge and cross it. The other side is called the Old Market Place, where the markets were held to the 18th c. On the far side is a plaque( not Civic Society) to the Whitby ships which took minor criminals to live in Australia. Continue along the riverside and you pass the Angel Hotel where Arther Machen stayed while in Whitby and then cross the road to come to the Tourist Office. To the right is a pole supporting a crows nest with two men scanning around them. This is a monument to the Scoresbys, father and son. Later we will visit the Blue Plaque to Capt Scoresby Senior. Across the road is the railway station with a blue plaque for its architect and facing it is the Railway Station Hotel,also called the George Hotel with a plaque to Phil May , the Cartoonist, on the rear side. Just beyond the Railway station take Windsor Terrace past the modern Library to its end and then go right up the hill.Here there are magnificent views of the East Side. Park Terrace is on your left and the plaque to the Wetherill family of painters is in the garden of no4 not far from the pavement. Return by any of the streets opposite and you come out beside the hospital and following round it you see on your right the modern Police station and continueing downhill you come to Bagdale Old Hall,with a Blue Plaque to Captain Browne Bushell,executed by the parliamentarians as a traitor.
Walking up the hill on the the other side, the large houses were the homes of shipowners or captains. Look for the plaque next to a gate to Captain Scoresby Senior.