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Whitby Museums Galleries And The Arts
UFindUs is a comprehensive online directory of UK businesses searchable by region or category, giving you the ability to locate museums and galleries quickly and efficiently. The web sites featured in the UFindUs museums, galleries and the arts directory cover all aspects of museums, galleries and the arts including exhibitions.
About Whitby - show infohide info
Whitby is a seaside and fishing town in North Yorkshire. The town lies at the mouth of the river Esk, in the north east of the country. The population is approximately 20,000 inhabitants. Whitby grew on the site of a monastery built by the Saxon King of Northumbria, Oswy, who built a monastery in order to fulfil a vow he made to God, when he won the battle of Winwaed. Oswy declared that the monastery would be for monks and nuns of the Benedictine order. In 867, Vikings landed two miles from the Whitby and attacked the settlement, destroying the monastery. The monastery was refounded in 1078 by William de Percy. Whitby was nothing more than a small fishing port until the end of the 16th century, when Thomas Chaloner discovered alum in the area. Alum was important in leather curing, the fixing of dyed cloth and also had medicinal uses. A thriving alum industry thus developed in Yorkshire. During this period, Whitby expanded as a fishing port as well. By the 17th century, shipbuilding using local oak had commenced in the town, and later, Whitby was important for the whaling industry, as the first whaling ship left Whitby for Greenland in 1753. Whitby has expanded inland and to the west cliff. The east cliff is dominated by the remains of Whitby Abbey and its churchyard, in which are buried the remians of many of the 85 who perished when the hospital ship Rhodilla sunk off the shore of Whitby. Whitby is still an important fishing port, particularly famous for its shrimp (used to make Whitby Scampi) and is also important in the exports of goods to Scandinavia, including potash, timber and grain. The town is served by rail, and sees trains to Middlesborough every two hours. Nearby towns to Whitby include Middlebrough, Scarborough, Pickering, Redcar, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Filey, Loftus and Skelting.
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