Whitby Swing Bridge
About
The bridge between the two halves of the town, and the thing that most shapes a day here. Building started in 1908 and it opened in 1909, with a main span of 75 feet and a weight limit of seven and a half tons, which is why you will see delivery lorries taking the long way round via the higher road bridge. It still swings open to let boats through into the upper harbour, and when it does, everything stops: pedestrians, cars, the lot, for several minutes. Locals treat this as weather. Visitors treat it as a spectacle for about a week and then as weather too. Standing on it looking upriver, with the abbey on one side and the fish quay on the other, is the single best free thing in Whitby.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓A working 1908 to 1909 swing bridge, still opening for traffic on the river
- ✓The best free view in the town, upriver and down, from the middle of the span
- ✓The 7.5 ton limit that keeps heavy traffic out of the old town
- ✓The moment everything stops, which tells you more about Whitby than any museum
Tips
- →If you are catching a train or a bus, allow for a bridge opening. It is the commonest way to miss one.
- →The higher Whitby road bridge upriver is the alternative crossing when the swing bridge is open, but it is a long detour on foot.
- →Free, always accessible, and the best place in town to watch the boats come in.
Best Season
More Attraction Activities
Whitby Abbey
The medieval abbey ruin on the East Cliff, with an English Heritage museum covering Hild, Caedmon and the Dracula connection.
The 199 Steps
The grade I listed Church Stairs from Church Street up to St Mary's, in use since at least 1370, with coffin-rest platforms on the way.
St Mary's Church
The clifftop parish church at the top of the steps, with an extraordinary unrestored interior of white box pews fitted by ships' carpenters.