Whitby memorials

Yorkshire holiday 13

There is an iconic view from the cliff top at the other side of Whitby harbour, looking back to the church and Abbey and over the harbour. This side is the 'seaside' part of Whitby, with the beach, guesthouses and tourist amenities. (Crazy golf, anyone?) There are also a fair few landmarks, memorials and statues dotted around. 

Perhaps the most famous is the Whalebone Arch, made from the jawbone of a whale. Whaling was, of course, a highly dangerous occupation and many crews never made it back to port. Those that did tied a whale's jawbone to their ship's mast, so that watchers on shore could quickly see the good news. A commemorative whalebone arch has stood in this spot since Victorian times, though the bones have been replaced a few times. 

Nearby is a statue of Whitby's most famous 'son', the explorer Captain James Cook:

Up by the church is a rather fine Victorian monument called Caedmon's Cross, commemorating the 7th century Anglo-Saxon poet, Caedmon, who lived in the monastic community at Whitby Abbey. Its carved panels depict various saints, kings and biblical figures. (See HERE for detail)  

More recent artworks include some figures by local artist Emma Stothard, forming a Heritage Trail around town, inspired by Whitby's fishing heritage. (Below) Dora Walker (1890-1980) was the first female fishing boat skipper on the north east coast, after working as a nurse during WW1. She was something of a historian too, writing memoirs of nursing and the fishing communities locally.  

Down by the harbour there's a Whitby fishwife, by the same artist. 

I was touched by this memorial too, though it has proved controversial. The bombed-out (replica) house, complete with an unexploded shell, commemorates 137 civilians who lost their lives along this coast on 16 December 1914 in a bombardment by the Imperial German Navy.