Editing Whitby (section)

{{Short description|Coastal town in North Yorkshire, England}}
{{Other uses}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| official_name            = Whitby
| type = Town
| coordinates              = {{coord|54.4858|-0.6206|display=inline,title}}
| civil_parish             = Whitby
| population               = 13,213
| population_ref           = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]])<ref name="2011 census" />
| region                   = Yorkshire and the Humber
| unitary_england          = [[North Yorkshire District|North Yorkshire]]
| lieutenancy_england      = [[North Yorkshire]]
| constituency_westminster = [[Scarborough and Whitby (UK Parliament constituency)|Scarborough and Whitby]]
| post_town                = WHITBY
| postcode_district        = YO21, YO22
| postcode_area            = YO
| dial_code                = 01947
| os_grid_reference        = NZ893109
| label_position           = right
| static_image_name        = View along the River Esk at Whitby (geograph 7257032).jpg
| static_image_caption     = View of Whitby from the West Cliff
| static_image_2_name      = Coat of Arms of Whitby.svg
| static_image_2_width     = 100
| static_image_2_caption   = Arms of Whitby Town Council
}}
'''Whitby''' is a seaside town, port and [[civil parish]] in [[North Yorkshire]], England. It is on the [[Yorkshire Coast]] at the mouth of the [[River Esk, North Yorkshire|River Esk]] and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy.

From the [[Middle Ages]], Whitby had significant [[Herring fleet|herring]] and [[whaling]] fleets,<ref>{{cite web |year=2011 |title=BLESSING THE HERRING FLEET – British Pathe |url=http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=58589 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729004151/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=58589 |archive-date=29 July 2012 |access-date=20 October 2011 |website=britishpathe.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |year=2011 |title=Whaling in Whitby – Whitby Online |url=http://www.whitbyonline.co.uk/whitbyhistory/whaling.php |access-date=20 October 2011 |website=whitbyonline.co.uk |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306224606/http://www.whitbyonline.co.uk/whitbyhistory/whaling.php |url-status=live }}</ref>  and was where [[Captain Cook]] learned seamanship. He first explored the southern ocean in [[HMS Endeavour|HMS ''Endeavour'']], built there.<ref name="Hough55">Hough 1994, p. 55</ref>

[[Alum industry in North Yorkshire|Alum]] was mined locally, and Whitby [[Jet (lignite)|jet]] jewellery was fashionable during the 19th&nbsp;century.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wood |first1=Alex |title=The unique crafts and industries of our coastal heritage - jet mining |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=27 June 2020 |page=14|issn=0963-1496}}</ref>

Tourism started in Whitby during the Georgian period and developed with the arrival of the railway in 1839. The abbey ruin at the top of the East Cliff is the town's oldest and most prominent landmark. Other significant features include the [[Whitby Swing Bridge|swing bridge]], which crosses the River Esk and the harbour sheltered by [[grade II listed]] [[Piers of Whitby|east and west piers]]. There are statues of Captain Cook and [[William Scoresby]], and a whalebone arch on the West Cliff. Whitby featured in literary works including [[Bram Stoker]]'s novel ''Dracula''.

Whitby is {{convert|47|mi|km|}} from [[York]] and {{convert|22|mi|km|}} from [[Middlesbrough]].