Hempsyke Font near Whitby

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This natural spring is found just by the side of the road and features a lions head and the remains of a chain where a cup has been attached.
Hempsyke Font near Whitby
There are a number of plaques with some unusual inscriptions.

Hempsyke Font near Whitby
Man made the trough
The water God bestows
Then praise his name
From whom the blessing flows

John Allan
Hempsyke 1856

Hempsyke Font near Whitby
Weary stranger here you see
An emblem of true charity
Richly my bounty I bestow
Made by a kindly hand to flow
And I have fresh supplies from heaven
For every cup of water given

John Allan
Hempsyke 1858

Hempsyke Font near Whitby
The stream is pure as if from heaven it ran
And while I praise the Lord I’ll thank the man
Tramp 1864

Whitby West Cliff Station

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The station opened on 3rd December 1883 as part of the Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway
The line along the coast closed on 5th May 1958 although this station remained open as part of the Whitby to Scarborough line until it closed on 12th June 1961.
Whitby West Cliff Station
The station is now converted into houses and a bridge still stands over the abandoned tracks, which seems to have been adopted as someones garden above.
Whitby West Cliff Station

Wreck of the Admiral Van Tromp – Saltwick Bay

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The Admiral Van Tromp was a Scarborough trawler that ran aground on 30/09/1976.
The exact circumstance of the accident remain a mystery as the boat was on completely the wrong course and a senior nautical surveyor at the inquest stated it appeared it was driven onto the rocks deliberately.

No-one will ever know the real reasons as the man at the wheel John ‘Scotch Jack’ Addison was killed, along with one other crew member.

The details of the accident are covered in much greater detail on the website of the Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre
Admiral Von Tromp Wreck - Saltwick Bay Admiral Von Tromp Wreck - Saltwick Bay
Admiral Von Tromp Wreck - Saltwick Bay
Again, check the tide tables before visiting wreck sites and needing a rescue yourself.

Wreck of the Rohilla – Saltwick Bay

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The Rohilla was launched by Harland and Wolff in Belfast on the 6th September 1906. On 6th August 1914 she became a hospital ship.
At 4am on 29th October 1914 the Rohilla struck rocks at Saltwick Nab near Whitby with 229 people on board. A huge rescue attempt was mounted that lasted several days due to the terrible weather conditions, however over 80 people perished. A huge amount of details on the disaster can be found on this website

A few fragments of the ship can be found to the west of Saltwick Nab, although care should be taken to check tide tables before visiting. Much more of the wreck remain still under the water.
Rohilla Wreck - Saltwick Nab Rohilla Wreck - Saltwick Nab

Wreck of the Creteblock – Whitby

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The MV Creteblock was constructed in Shoreham around 1919/20 from reinforced concrete rather than steel which was in short supply during World War 1 (although it was completed too late to see active service)
Wreck of the Creteblock - Whitby
Wreck of the Creteblock - Whitby
Smiths Dock used the vessel as a tug until 1934/1935 when she was brought to Whitby to be scrapped, the ship deteriorated there until 1947 when she was finally to be scuttled in deep water, however the boat sank in shallow water just outside the harbour and was later blown up
Wreck of the Creteblock - Whitby
Wreck of the Creteblock - Whitby

Care should be taken to check the tides before visiting this location

William Scoresby Jr and Snr, Crows Nest Sculpture, Whitby

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Scoresby and son were arctic explorer who mapped much of the east coast of Greenland and took the Resolution to within 510 miles of the North Pole in 1806. Scoresby Snr invented the barrel crows nest, a reproduction of which is in the Whitby Museum. Scoresby Jr is known for his work developing ships compasses. They are depicted in a crows nest by Kevin Storch.

William Scoresby Crows Nest Sculpture, Whitby William Scoresby Crows Nest Sculpture, Whitby

Moored nearby is the Grand Turk a modern replica of the frigate HMS Blandford built in 1741, it has appeared on TV in the Hornblower series

Grand Turk, Whitby

Boiling Well or Abba (Abbey) Well, Whitby

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Boiling Well, Whitby Boiling Well, Whitby

Boiling Well, Whitby

Currently the plaque says :-

“In the early nineteenth century Mr Joseph Brown piped water from this spring to a reservoir in the grounds of Whitby Abbey, to provide a clean and reliable water supply to the east side of Whitby”

Apparently a few years ago there was a different plaque. which read.

T’awd Abba Well
Also known as the old Boiling Well

Lang centuries aback
This wor’t awd Abba Well
Saint Hilda veiled i’ black
Lang centuries aback
Supped frey it an no lack
All t sisterhood as well
Lang centuries aback
This wor’t awd Abba Well

Not the best photos in the world, as I only had a mobile phone with me.

Update January 2009

Sheila Welch has kindly provided some slides of the well taken in the 1970s by her father George Towndrow, these show the original plaque still in place.

Abba Well, Whitby 70s

Abba Well, Whitby 70s