Whitby museum

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One day of our week was forecast to be wet, so we decided on a visit to Whitby museum and art gallery. The art gallery was a pleasant space and showcased art by various past and present local artists. We all enjoyed admiring the works, and choosing our favourites. Then we went to the museum, which is entered through the gallery. That was quite a contrast – from the calm, spacious gallery rooms into a big space crammed with cases of all sorts of artefacts! It was very much centred on all things local, but it was full of fascinating things commemorating all aspects of Whitby. There was a large collection of fossils (that part of the coast is well known for its fossils) and interesting geography exhibits. Some of the best were actually incorporated into the building itself with a couple of large ichthyosaurs, as well as some smaller fossils, embedded in the walls. Then there was a lot about jet (a Whitby speciality, which peaked in Victorian times) with all sorts of intricate items carved from it, including two very elaborate chess-board/tables that also included ammonites on alternate squares. There was lots about local life, from Roman inscribed stones to doll’s houses, together with various household items (some of which I still have at home!) as well as curiosities such as a contraption which used an array of leeches and bells to forecast the weather (yes really!). There was an extensive exhibit about boat and shipbuilding, a major local industry, and many ship models of all sorts as well as military history; there was much about the fishing and whaling industries, as well as quite an extensive natural history display, mainly of native fauna, and an eclectic collection of cultural artefacts from around the world brought back by returning seafarers. I could go on… we spent all afternoon in there and we all found things the others had not found. We had to leave at closing time but I actually went back again the next day (the entry fee covers admission for a year) for another look as it was all so interesting, it really was the best sort of museum where you are always discovering interesting things! You can see more about it here https://whitbymuseum.org.uk/our-collection/ The photo is of a model of the Cutty Sark, a clipper built in 1869 and for ten years the record holder for the fastest passage from Australia to Britain. All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2024.