Category: Saltwick Bay
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Saltwick Bay and Black Nab
When King Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries, Whitby Abbey did not escape. Its fixtures and furnishings were all sold off with the funds going into the King’s coffers. The lead on the roof was stripped and used on the nearby St. Mary’s Church which until then had a thatched roof. The bells…
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The Wreck of the Rohilla
At 1:00 pm on 29th October 1914, HMHS (His Majesty’s Hospital Ship) Rohilla set sail from Leith Docks bound for Dunkirk where she would help evacuate wounded soldiers from the Western Front. She had been built in 1906 and intended to be used as a luxury cruise ship, but almost immediately was requisitioned as a…
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Saltwick Bay
Just east of Whitby lies the once secluded Saltwick Bay, protected by sea cliffs hosting a breeding colony of Kittiwakes and Fulmars. But the huge static caravan park dominates the cliff top. A steep trod allows access to the beach. On Saltwick Nab in the distance, Sir Hugh Cholmley set up his alum works in…
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Saltwick Bay
From the Cleveland Way, Saltwick Bay at low tide looks benign and peaceful. It is a glorious spring day. Families are relaxing on the beach, rockpooling, or just strolling. But the bay has a history of industry and disasters. Alum was quarried at Saltwick Bay in the 17th and 18th centuries. The main quarry for…