Whitby Cottages on both the East Area and West Area of Whitby

On the East side in the shadow of Whitby Abbey, there are some Whitby cottages situated in and around Henrietta Street. Although many are occupied by local residents, there are a number for rental as holiday accommodation. This very old cobbled street has quite an interesting history. Named after Henrietta Cholmley, it was formerly home to nearly a thousand inhabitants but in 1787 a large landslip saw a great many houses fall into the sea and a succession of further landslips has now seen the number of cottages decreased to present day numbers. The cottages on the sea ward side do have access down to the sands of Tate Hill Beach from where it is possible to look upwards towards the graveyard of St. Mary's Church and see the cottages nestling at the foot of the cliffs with the seagulls swooping etc. Perhaps the only dissimilarity between the minds eye picture and reality is the plumes of smoke from the chimneys!

Beautiful and quaint as they may be on Henrietta Street, they are not by any means the only holiday cottages for rental in Whitby. The cobbled streets and flagstones of Church Street are also home to a number of holiday cottages. Moving southwards from the bottom of the 199 steps along Church Street there are many narrow alleyways and yards many of which are home to some rather quaint and unusual holiday homes. In the 1790's it was not unusual for the press gangs to search for suitable seamen in and around Whitby but the local male population made full use of these alleyways and yards to evade capture. It was not only from the press gangs, there was also a large smuggling culture in those days and the custom men too had problems catching the smugglers!

As Church Street winds its way along to the bottom of Green Lane there can be found numerous holiday cottages. Behind this long line of buildings winding roads and pathways rise into the hillside which also contain many holiday homes. When viewing from the other side of the river, it would appear that the buildings are perched one on top of another affording fabulous views of the harbour and fishing boats.

The West side of Whitby UK around the Swing Bridge area also has the small alleyways with ‘fishermens' cottages converted into holiday accommodation. These quaint cottages give an insight into the close community which once lived.These cosy cottages are close to all amenities including the bus and railway station, the local shops and the beaches.

The term Whitby Cottages does not necessarily mean that they are, in fact, cottages. Many different types of buildings come under the umbrella of ‘holiday cottages' . They may, in fact, be bungalows, houses, flats or apartments. Sizes can range from accommodating couples up to 15 or 16 guests. Many rental ‘cottages' are situated all around the town on both the East and the West side.

Many of the holiday cottages are let privately by the owners but increasingly they are let by the professionsal Holiday Lettings Agencies. Each letting agency inspects the properties on its register to see that they comply with the English Tourist Board standards and facilities.