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26th July 2009 - by Alan Moore
Whitby's Nautical
Heritage
Whitby's nautical heritage runs deep in the town's blood, and
everywhere you go there are reminders of this affiliation -
from the dark passageway leading to the old and evocatively
named Old Smuggler cafe, nestled unexpectedly between two
modern shops on Baxtergate - to the more obvious reminders in
and around the town s harbor.
Whitby's first and last link with the sea was fishing - ever
since its foundation, fishing has been a means of supplying the
settlement with food, but over the years fishing and ship
building were to grow from subsistence and small scale
businesses to become major sources of income for the town.
By 1706, Whitby was the sixth largest shipbuilding port in the
UK, building more than 130 cargo ships each year. The output of
the local alum mines kept local merchant shipowners busy
transporting alum for the textile and tanning industries, and
the coastal trade in coal had a strong presence in Whitby.
Although the alum industry gradually closed down in the 19th
century, rendered redundant by more modern dyeing technologies,
by then the Industrial Revolution had led to an increase in
demand for one of the fishing industry's most lucrative
seasonal catches - herrings.
Once a year, in late summer, fishing boats from as far afield
as Scotland and Cornwall would converge on Whitby, ready to
take their share of the herring catch. Much of the fish was
exported and for a time both supply and demand for the little
silver fish seemed insatiable.
The period from 1753 until the middle of the 19th century also
saw great wealth and success for Whitby s whalers, which
although fewer in number could make huge profits from a single
trip, creating a number of extremely wealthy men in the town.
The whaling industry is commemorated by a huge whalebone arch,
several times the height of a man, which stands at the top of
the steps leading to West Cliff. Nearby stands an equally
impressive statue of Captain James Cook, perhaps Yorkshire's
most famous seafarer.
Today, fishing is conducted on a fairly small scale, with a
mixture of a few deep sea trawlers, and rather more smaller
boats which are used to catch the shellfish that Whitby is so
popular for. Most of this freshly caught produce will later
grace the tables of luxury restaurants, both in the town and
elsewhere in the UK. Its premium quality fetches strong prices
and is one of the ways in which the fishing industry continues
to survive in Whitby.
Many of today's visitors to Whitby are content simply to see,
smell and occasionally paddle in the sea, but for those of a
more adventurous or hands on nature, there are a range of
seagoing activities available.
Lovers of deep sea fishing will find ample opportunities to
practice their craft, with both group charter services and
scheduled excursions available, often with all equipment
provided.
There are a range of boat trips available in season, appealing
to the inner child within us all Whitby s old lifeboat makes
regular trips around the bay, and for the more adventurous
rides on a jet boat are on offer.
Source: http://articlesabroad.com
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