England's best views: Whitby
Simon Jenkins salutes Whitby as one of England's best views

England's Best Views: Whitby From West Cliff
'The best view of the Whitby headland is from the West Cliff across the mouth of the harbour. Upon the headland stand the ruins of Whitby Abbey, founded in the 7th century and dedicated to St Hilda.
The parish church of St Mary is set in a graveyard of the blackest and gloomiest headstones, many of men lost at sea. A contrast is offered by the church's jolly Georgian interior. The box pews are crammed into every corner and beside the three-decker pulpit is an ear trumpet for a rector's deaf wife. It is approached from the harbour up a flight of 199 steps.
The view out to sea is of waves crashing against the curving breakwater that protects the harbour entrance.'
Extracted from ‘England's 100 Best Views' by Simon Jenkins, to be published by Profile books in October 2013 (£25 hardback)
* Subscribe to Country Life; Get Country Life on IPad
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by His Majesty The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
'One of the finest houses in Cheshire' blends Georgian architecture, modern exoticism and space to park your helicopter
Penny Churchill looks inside Stretton Hall, an exceptional house for sale
-
Marilyn, maraschino cherries and classic movie musicals await you in Country Life's Quiz of the Day, August 29, 2025
Friday's quiz puts your cocktail knowledge to the test.