Whitby is the perfect location for October. Perched on the North Yorkshire coast, its ghostly legends and crumbling hilltop Abbey are a quintessential Halloween backdrop, and its tearooms and bookshops make for a cosy environment to get out of the autumn chill after a bracing stroll along Whitby’s windswept beach.
Here’s what you should do in Whitby in October.
Whitby Abbey
Climb the famous 199 steps up to Whitby Abbey. Founded in the seventh century, this clifftop monument served as an important religious base and community for hundreds of years. It was only during King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in the mid-sixteenth century that the Abbey was destroyed, abandoned, and left to crumble up on the cliff at the mercy of the elements.
Whitby Abbey not only forms a ghostly silhouette against the sea but it also features in one of the most unsettling scenes in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. So it’s perfect for getting into the spectral spirit of October.
Whitby Abbey is an English Heritage site, so English Heritage members can enter for free.
Whalebone Arch
The Whalebone Arch is now a well-known feature of Whitby’s skyline. It’s an arch constructed from two whale jawbones, first erected in 1964. It’s now set to be replaced with a bronze replica in the hope that this structure will be more durable than the bones. You can get a good view of Whitby Abbey through the arch.
Whitby Beach and seafront
Unless you’re a seasoned cold-water swimmer, you probably won’t want to swim in the sea in Whitby in October. However, I can recommend going for a bracing walk down Whitby’s seafront and along its beach.
Walk beside the colourful beach huts and down to the end of the jetty from which you can look back at Whitby across the sea.
Up on the cliff above the beach, and along the riverfront as you head into the town, there are various bronze and wire sculptures depicting smugglers, fishermen and women, and even one of Captain Cook who worked as an apprentice in Whitby.
Bookshops
After your walk down the beach, you might want to get out of the cold weather in which case I recommend browsing Whitby’s many bookshops. Whitby is famous for its literary connections, the best-known of which (as mentioned above) is Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and it therefore has a strong literary culture. Check out these bookshops in Whitby:
- The Whitby Bookshop
- Great Reads Whitby
- The Little Fox Bookshop
- Whitby’s various charity shops, including the Oxfam on New Quay Road
If you’re visiting Whitby in November rather than October, this is when Whitby’s annual Literary Festival takes place. Try and book into a few of the talks and events – they’re guaranteed to have a great lineup.
Tearooms
If you’re peckish, do not fear. Whitby is full of small, traditional tearooms where you can relax in a cosy room with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. I have to say that the cake standard in Whitby is very high – it seemed that all of the tearooms had an irresistible selection of them.
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is always best near the coast and Whitby is no exception. If you have one chance to have fish and chips in Whitby, you have to go to The Magpie Café. I went twice in two days, it was that good. The Magpie is on the riverfront – try and sit upstairs with a view outside.
Walk from Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay
If you’ve got an extra day in Whitby, you can walk from Whitby down the coast path to Robin Hood’s Bay. Now the weather is variable in Whitby in October so this is a judgment call for you. On a dry day, this is a great walk, and in October you’ll get to appreciate the delightful blaze of autumn colours on the route.
The walk from Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay is about six and a half miles, or around three hours. It’s not too strenuous – there are a few stretches of walking up or down a flight of steps but nothing too drastic. Look back towards Whitby as you go and see Whitby Abbey shrinking in size as you walk further towards Robin Hood’s Bay.
If the weather is dry, there’s no need to wear walking boots unless you would find this more comfortable. However, I imagine if it’s been raining it would be muddy so I would suggest wearing boots.
Robin Hood’s Bay is a fishing village with several cosy pubs and cafes and is a lovely place to stop for a cup of tea or a drink. No one is exactly sure how it got its name as there is apparently no connection with the legend of Robin Hood! It does however have links with long-ago smugglers, so it feels like an exciting place out of a different sort of legend.
To return to Whitby from Robin Hood’s Bay, you can catch a bus. These leave every half an hour from the top of the hill near the car park.
Whitby in October is magical
All in all, I highly recommend a visit to Whitby in October for a perfect combination of ghostliness and cosiness.
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