Whitby

Whitby is where the moors meet the sea. The ruined abbey stands on the East Cliff above a harbour that still lands crab, lobster and whitefish, and the town is stitched together by the swing bridge, the 199 steps and a tangle of cobbled yards.

Bram Stoker set part of Dracula here, Captain Cook learned his trade here, and Whitby jet has been carved here since the Victorians. It is a proper working town rather than a museum piece, so you get chip shops, amusements and a fish market alongside the history.

• Climb the 199 steps to St Mary's church and the abbey
• Walk the West Pier at dusk
• Take a boat trip from the harbour in summer
• Head west along the beach to Sandsend at low tide