We usually try to go away on holiday mid February, around the time of our wedding anniversary. This year, that isn’t going to be possible so we decided to have a last minute weekend at the seaside in early Feb instead. There is something wonderful about the Yorkshire coast in the winter that I love, which I think has a lot to do with seeing the mighty sea crashing against the pier and being able to hunker down with great fish & chips.
So we booked a last minute stay in a fantastic 2 bedroom 2nd floor apartment on Pier Road (Pier apartment). It had a fantastic picture window, from where you could watch out over the harbour as you ate at the dining room table. The bedrooms were furnished in rich red and purple shades with luxury soft furnishings, and the lounge had super-comfy leather lay-z-boy sofas to relax on. It seemed well priced at £190 for 2 nights, considering the standard and location of the apartment.
On Saturday we were really lucky to get a dry and mild day and got out for a long walk around the streets of Whitby. There are loads of foodie shops, specialist jet jewellers and a growing array of craft shops. Considering a few years ago it was a bit run down, it seems Whitby has found its niche.
Eventually we made it up the 199 steps to the Abbey, which was well worth the admission price of about £5. Millie had a fantastic run around the grounds, without us having to keep hold of her hand and we got to admire the amazing view! It really is quite an imposing structure on the headland keeping watch over the town.
In terms of food, we did all right as well. Our favourite place to go for breakfast is the yummy Botham’s bakery and we had some great fish & chips from the famous Magpie Cafe. We also found a lovely seafood restaurant called Marine that did beautiful squid and a children’s menu including fresh fish cakes, which was refreshing to see. It looked like quite a posh place in the evening, but was more than happy to have families in early doors. They did good margaritas cocktails too, and it was almost next door to where we were staying, perfect.
So if anyone else is longing for a weekend away to brighten up the winter, you could certainly do a lot worse than Whitby. We enjoyed the sea air, good food and a bit of culture – and we hardly scratched the surface. I think we’ll be back!
jamieonline Said:
on February 13, 2011 at 10:49 am
I love your post. Whitby is a great little fishing town. I used to go there every summer when I lived close-by (Redcar). The smell of the town, the candy floss and fish & chips. Happy memories!