May 2026. Whitby.
Too many pub crawls artisanally curated exploration of public houses over-focus on beer and miss the point of visiting pubs. Always visit a Sam Smiths pub over a pokey micro called “11 o’clock craft bock” or something.
Equally, never forget why you’re in Whitby, rather than Wokingham, say, or Walsham. You’ve come to see the marvellous North Yorkshire coastline in Spring, or at least to hit a little ball round a bit of it.
Joan, Dave, Paul M and I had taken the bus (ugh) a mile north of town to get that view, admire posh Whitby,
and a pint of Theakstons in the White House.
Yes, imagine who might retire here in 2028 with a golf course next door.
An unpretentious small hotel,
unfussy but comfy seating,
cool pints of Best that were probably just about GBG standard, even after the beer scoring system just got changed,
I guess let the lacings reveal.
I took even less notes than I took in the Plough, Dave took in the views,
and then we headed back along the coastal path.
Sometimes, I let the pictures speak for themselves.
retiredmartin 
Coastline looks lovely but you’re not selling me on Whitby’s pubs yet…
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I loved the Star, but this was a tour outside the GBG.
The Black Horse and Little Angel are better GBG bets.
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Whitby’s pubs are a bit different than other places. Black Horse, Star, Little Angel and The Plough are very good to great. The Endeavor, Station and Board Inn are worth visiting. Whitby’s pubs were pretty busy all day and the people in them often chatted with one another. Very easy-going pubs with a coastal vibe to them. There are micros as well, but we didn’t visit them. If you’re more interested in the views and pubs than the beer, Whitby is a decent pub town.
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Dunno why I bother blogging when you can sum it up in 70 words like that, Dave !
Flesh it out a bit with flowery drama for the Pellice article though ;-0
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Great pictures. I love Whitby and the vibe. Had very good value breakfasts in that Spoon’s over the years. The beer has always been a bit hit and miss. I think it’s actually an improving picture for the pub scene since my first visit in the early 1980’s.
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Re micros, on our visits, we tend to use those most of all, Waiting room at the Station, Green dragon, Beer o clock and the Arch n Abbey are all great.
The Fleece has cleaned itself up, doubled the size of the outside seating to take advantage of sitting in the sun with river & harbour views, plus got rid of the punk /New Wave soundtrack, so its now annoyingly busy, but I preferred it as it was, dirty, a bit scuzzy and rough around the edges, any similarity is entirely coincidental….
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Got rid of the punk/New Wave soundtrack? I’m outta there.
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Yes, the terrible fate of gentrification, no Stranglers or UK Subs…..
Whatever is the world coming to ??
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Simon listens to the UK Subs and he’s the most gentrified pub ticker of all, brought up in Saffron Walden!
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Some of us started off a lot rougher around the edges than Simon, that gentrification machine has its work cut out with me……
Growing up in Wakefield, I realise that old joke line “Don’t talk to me about sophistication, I’ve been to Leeds”, is only half ironic…..
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I don’t think anyone can go wrong visiting North Yorkshire. Someone prove me wrong …
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