Whitby
Gothic Weekend 1997

Miscellaneous Useful Information

Travel | Accommodation | Shops & Packing | St. Mary's

Travel - Not Trains

Ready for a bit of an adventure? Whitby's not the easiest place to reach... so hopefully this may help you. We can't guarantee that any of this is completely accurate, cobbled together by the Whitby team from the back of an envelope and the 1963 'East Coast Holidays Brochure', but hopefully it will point you in the right direction!

Road and Rail Information, together with map from the Yorkshire Tourist Board.
UK Public Transport Information Page
Railtrack including timetables

There are two main options for getting to Whitby by train:

train to Scarborough and then by local bus: there are many trains from York to Scarborough, and they take about 47 minutes. You can get to York from most places around the country without too much trouble.
train from Darlington / Middlesborough direct to Whitby Station: Whitby station is not very big and there are only four Middlesborough to Whitby trains a day at most.

Warning! Last year there were no trains from Whitby station on Sundays during the Winter Season. You may want to check before you try and travel...

Twenty four hour information service on trains - 0345 48 49 50
Local Bus information (Scarborough to Whitby) - 01947 602146

Accommodation

As always, Whitby Tourist Information will help as they have a database of available accommodation. Ring 01947 602674 for more information.

Most people go for Bed and Breakfast, but if don't overlook the idea of self-catering - highly recommended by The Whitby Team for being able to 'do your own thing'. B&B should cost 15 (if you're very, very lucky) - 25 pounds per person per night; self-catering cost us around 50 pounds per person per week last year.

Packing

Clothes

Without wanting to startle you, Whitby can be very sea-breezy and is definitely very hilly and cobbly. Take your mum's advice, and pack a big jumper and sensible boots, and you won't be sorry.

I've been asked to point out that lots of people dress up excessively regardless of this, but don't complain to us when your legs freeze off!

Shops

Don't fret! There are several pharamaceutical shops for all your last minute make-up and hairspray needs!
There are lots of interesting second-hand and antique shops in the old town if you like a bit of a rummage.
There is a good joke shop on the way to the Abbey.
Whitby Jet makes a great - if sometimes expensive - souvenir for those into black jewellery!

Food

There are several supermarkets in Whitby, although the Somerfield by the Elsinore did sell out of Marlboro cigarettes in 1994
Several people have told me names of good cafes...
There is also very many extrememly nice chip shops, selling fantastically good fish, given that Whitby's a fishing port!
Still able to get into your corset? Avoid the sea-front shops... sweets, sweets, hot doughnuts, candy floss, and...fudge! All within crawling distance. Yum!

St. Mary's Church

As we've mentioned in the InfoPack, we are discouraging people from visiting St. Mary's Church (the one on the cliff!) for any sort of nocturnal cliff-top rambling this year, popular as it might have been in the past. The reason is simple - the vicar has asked us to do so, and it's his church. If you don't like it, sorry! - but bear in mind that if it wasn't for the goodwill of the people of Whitby (who are wonderful hosts), the Weekend wouldn't stand a chance. So please respect their wishes!