A Windswept Walk in Whitby with Matthew Wolfenden and Roxy Shahidi
Living North's columnists, actors Matthew Wolfenden and Roxy Shahidi, continue their journey exploring Yorkshire one walk at a time
Whitby Abbey & Saltwick Bay
This month we’re in Whitby, starting beneath the imposing ruins of Whitby Abbey, before heading out along the clifftops to Saltwick Bay. It’s around four miles there and back, and with November skies, crashing waves and the Abbey looming above us, it might just be our most atmospheric walk yet.
It’s almost impossible to be in Whitby without thinking about Dracula. Bram Stoker visited the town in 1890 and became fascinated by its atmosphere, history and folklore. Whitby would go on to play a major part in his 1897 novel, with the ruined Abbey, St Mary’s Church and the famous 199 Steps all woven into the story.
And standing here on a dark November day, looking out across an angry North Sea, it’s easy to understand what inspired him.
Don’t get me wrong, I love it in summer, but take away the crowds, throw in a dark sky and a slightly angry North Sea and the whole place changes. It feels wilder. Older. And with the ruins of Whitby Abbey sitting high above the town, it’s difficult to find anywhere in Yorkshire with more atmosphere.
Why Whitby?
Roxy: ‘Well, we definitely picked the right day for this one.’
Matt: ‘What, Baltic and blowing a gale?’
Roxy: ‘That’s the point. You don’t want to do this one in blazing sunshine. You want grey skies. Big waves. Bit of wind…’
Matt: ‘Freezing cold.’
Roxy: ‘Atmospheric.’
Matt: ‘Horizontal rain.’
Roxy: ‘Gothic.’
Matt: ‘You’ve really sold it.’
Roxy: ‘It’s basically our Dracula walk.’
Matt: ‘Ah. Now I see where you’re going with this. So, are we actually going to see Dracula?’
Roxy: ‘Hopefully not. Although after four miles in this wind, you’ll probably end up looking like him.’
Matt: ‘I vant to suck your blood.’
Roxy: ‘You’ll have to make do with a bag of chips at the end, I’m afraid!’
Matt: ‘Let’s face it, both are terrible for your arteries... get it?’
Let’s Walk...
We start by making our way up towards the Abbey, which of course means tackling the famous 199 steps. Nothing like beginning a relaxing four-mile walk with nearly 200 steps to get the legs going!
By the time we reach the top, though, it’s worth every one. Behind us, Whitby spreads out around the harbour, its red rooftops packed tightly together below, while ahead of us are the magnificent ruins of the Abbey.
The first monastery was founded here in the seventh century, while the Gothic ruins that dominate the headland today are largely the remains of the later medieval abbey. Standing beneath those enormous, ruined arches with the wind whipping in from the sea, it’s easy to see why the place has inspired so many stories.
From the Abbey we pick up the Cleveland Way, leaving Whitby behind and following the path south along the clifftops towards Saltwick Bay. Almost immediately, the views open up. To one side are rolling fields stretching inland; to the other, nothing but rugged cliffs, sea and sky.
The North Sea in November isn’t exactly inviting, but that’s what makes this walk. Huge waves roll towards the coastline and crash against the rocks below, while the wind coming off the sea makes you feel like you’ll properly earn the warm pub at the end.
The path eventually brings us towards Saltwick Bay, tucked beneath the cliffs just outside Whitby. It feels surprisingly remote considering how close we still are to town.
At low tide there’s a wide sweep of beach to explore, and this stretch of Yorkshire coastline is famous for its fossils and Whitby jet. Jet has been collected here for centuries and became particularly fashionable during the Victorian era, when it was widely used in mourning jewellery.
Just offshore is Black Nab, a distinctive dark rock formation rising out of the sea and adding yet another dramatic feature to an already pretty spectacular bit of coastline.
Saltwick Bay is our turnaround point. You can carry on much further along the Cleveland Way if you fancy stretching the legs, but for us today it’s time to retrace our steps back towards Whitby. And the return journey is every bit as good. This time, instead of walking away from the town, Whitby Abbey gradually comes back into view ahead of us, sitting high on the headland and getting more imposing with every step.
By the time we arrive back in Whitby, four miles of November sea air has done exactly what we hoped it would do: given us a very good excuse for fish and chips.
So we finish at The Magpie Café, something of a Whitby institution and probably one of the best-known places in town for seafood and fish and chips.
This might only be a relatively short walk, but it packs a lot into four miles: Whitby’s old streets, the Abbey, the Cleveland Way, huge coastal views and the wild beauty of Saltwick Bay.
And if you can pick a slightly gloomy day to do it, even better.
Sometimes Yorkshire doesn’t need blue skies. Sometimes it needs crashing waves, muddy boots, a ruined Gothic abbey and just enough mist rolling in from the North Sea to make you wonder whether Dracula might actually be up there watching.
