This short retrospective is an account a one of my earliest walks which was completed a mere 24 years ago when I spent a few days away in Yorkshire with our eldest son in a cottage at Cloughton. At the time, my wife, Angela, was looking after our latest arrival at home. As there are no existing photographs of the walk - you will have to take my word for it that it was completed! For illustration purposes, I have included pictures that were taken by our family at other times.
We drove to Robin Hoods Bay and parked the car at the top of the hill leading into the village. There are two paths that lead around the cliff towards Whitby. The Cleveland Way keeps to the cliff edge and the disused railway line which follows the contours of the slope makes for easier walking. We chose the latter route which gives good views across the sea, but reverted to the Cleveland Way at the point where the railway turned inland.
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| Whitby Abbey taken on holiday in 1969 |
After a couple of hours walking, the ruins of Whitby Abbey came into view, always an unmistakeable view and the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula novel. On past St Mary's Church and down the 199 steps into the "Old Town" with its narrow lanes. I remember from 1953 the smell of smoking fish on the steps, but none has been evident on subsequent visits. Perhaps we chose the wrong day, or perhaps smoking is now carried out on an industrial scale in a factory.
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| At Whitby Harbour in 1953 |
We had refreshments in the town and then took the bus back to the car at Robin Hoods Bay.
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