Whitby is famous for?

Whitby (St Hilda's) Abbey, Dracula, Bram Stoker, Captain Cook, Whitby Goths, Whitby Regatta, Whitby Whaling, Fishing, St Mary's Church, Whitby Jet, Whitby Witches, Whitby Town, The Whitby Seagull, 199 Steps, Harbour, Whitby Piers, Shipping Trades, Alum Production, B&Bs, The East Cliff, Captain William Scoresby, Fisherman's Cottages, Whitby's Yards, Steps and cobbled streets, Fish and Chips, The Endeavour, Ghost Walks, Sea Food, Seaside, The West Cliff, Whitby Folk Festival, Caedmon, Frank Sutcliffe, Whitby Kippers, Lobster, Crabs and Scampi, Synod of A.D. 664, Australian 'First Fleet' supply vessels,

Do you know any other things Whitby is famous for? Let us know and we'll add it to the list, see here!

Discover Whitby's street names and their history here

Break the ice, Jury, Binge drinking, Incredible Hulk, Down the hatch, ...discover these and many more well known phrases from our maritime past here

Find out about the building styles and architecture found in the buildings of Whitby here.

Whitby in times gone by, ads from the past here

Originally called the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, The RNLI has a long and interesting history. The NIPLS was founded on 4th march 1824, becoming the NLI National Lifeboat Institution in 1854. The NLI, soon after was given royal patronage by King George IV and became as we know it today the RNLI Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Long before the RNLI, sea rescue was carried out on a voluntary basis by local fishermen using their own small boats. On the generous announcement by Lloyds of London of their £2,000 lifeboat fund, (sea rescue fund set up by Lloyds of London for the various ports of England), Whitby's own collector of customs, a Mr Francis Gibson contacted Lloyds and asked for financial help with the building of a Lifeboat Station at Whitby. He was successful and was given the grand sum of £50. The remainder of the money required to build Whitby's first lifeboat station had to be raised in the town. The station was finally completed in September 1802. It was just 2 months until the first recorded rescue was made by the new 30 feet long life boat, rescuing the crew of the sloop Edinburgh.

The original life boat (built by Henry Greathead of South Shields) at the new lifeboat station was not long in service when it was considered un-seaworthy, and was replaced by a new 26 feet long boat in 1822 along with an additional boat to serve the east pier life boat house. In 1871 a third lifeboat station was added further up the coast at upgang. A fourth lifeboat existed, but this was privately owned by the local fishermen.

In Whitby the two principle life boat stations were at Pier Road and Tate Hill sands. They were numbered one and two, and would take turns in attending stricken ships. As the 2 life boat stations became dilapidated and damp, a new double fronted life boat station was considered to replace these. It took almost 20 years from 1877 to 1895 for the development to complete. This double fronted lifeboat house is now the RNLI museum on the Khyber Pass. The current station being on Fish Pier.

Above the former RNLI Lifeboat Station on Khyber Pass built in 1895

For RNLI Whitby opening times see here

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