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Whitby: A Gothic-Horror hill

Posted on 5 January 202324 January 2023 by Rob Ainsley

Most people come to Whitby for the Goth festivals, the fish and chips, the quaint old fishing-cottage alleys, Captain Cook, the Abbey, or the Dracula shtick. Today, I came for a cobbled lane.

Wisely, the driver ignored the satnav

Because the rugged harbour gem has a candidate for Britain’s steepest cyclable street. Well, cyclable in theory. Church Road, aka Donkey Track, takes off from the Old Town in its 1-in-2 climb to the ruins of the Abbey.

Church Road: So steep at the bottom you can actually lean your bike against it. Really.

It runs parallel to a well-known 199-step staircase, and is technically available for motor vehicles for access, and all cyclists. Some people have managed it. However, given the rough brick surface, you’ll need a mountain bike to ride it. With very low gears. And very good brakes. And probably e-assistance. Flexible travel insurance, too.

Gothic: The Abbey by moonlight

I was taking advantage of the national scheme, running from January to March, which caps single bus fares at £2. Agreeably, the scheme includes the 840 Coastliner from Leeds to Whitby via York – often cited as Britain’s most scenic bus journey thanks to its crossing of the North York Moors. Thanks also to my Dahon folding tourer, this all enabled a very good value bike trip – especially factoring in the £11 winter deal for stays at Whitby Youth Hostel, dramatically situated by the Abbey at the top of Church Road.

I told you we should have got the roof insured

I’ve cycled other candidates for Britain’s steepest street – or attempted to, anyway – such as Fford Pen Llech in Harlech and Vale St in Bristol, both around 40%. But (given those cobbles) this is the toughest, and almost certainly has the sharpest gradient.

Think I might push this one: At the foot of Donkey Track / Church Road

At the bottom, by the tea shop, my photographic analysis reckons the slope is 48.5%: 1 in 2.05. (Overall, from bottom to top, it averages out at about 1 in 4 / 25% over around 150 yards/150m.)

I came away from my overnight trip with three things learned.

Whitby Abbey: £11, or free if you stay at the neighbouring hostel. Or if you know the crafty gap in the hedge from its car park.

Tip 1: Stay at the Youth Hostel and you can visit the Abbey free. It usually costs over £11, which is what I paid for my dorm bed.

Whitby Old Town alley, and a Magpie Cafe fish and chip special

Tip 2: The quiet winter off-season is a great time to enjoy fish and chips from the iconic Magpie Cafe on the harbourfront: unlike summer, when you queue for an hour, you can walk straight in.

Test your brakes

Tip 3: Don’t try to cycle up Church Road. Still less down it.

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