About This Site
We are a small team of enthusiasts who share a love for Whitby and the North Yorkshire Coast.
A Passion Project
The Whitby Guide began as a passion project in 2009 and has since evolved into one of the largest independent travel websites focused on a UK tourist town. We collaborate with local businesses to promote their services and products through our accommodation and business directory and our popular blog, which features over 400 posts highlighting the best of the local area. In November 2020, we launched our online shop to sell local gifts, artwork, and produce. Since then, we have fulfilled over 5,000 orders and sold more than 6500 products, many of which come from local suppliers. Our popular Whitby Weekender newsletter is sent out every Friday, with over 20,000 subscribers. This newsletter shares local news, offers, blog posts, and events each week.
The Whitby Guide In Numbers
80,000+
Facebook Followers
41,500+
Instagram Followers
7,500+
X (Twitter) Followers
20,500+
Newsletter Subscribers
6500+
Products Sold
5000+
Online Shop Customers
400+
5 Star Trustpilot Reviews
450+
Blog Posts Written
Some Of Our Trustpilot Reviews
Lovely Range Of Unique Gifts
Lovely range of unique gifts offered as a reminder of your trip to Whitby and the nearby coastal towns and villages. Always easy to order, value for money and suitable for all budgets. This is the 2nd time ordering more bottle lights as gifts for my family and a treat for me too! Items arrived on time and well packed. Absolutely love all 3 lights of Runswick, Staithes and Whitby! Highly recommended!
Perfect Whitby Souvenir
My husband's family comes from Whitby. In fact, his father was born in the house on Henrietta Street at the bottom of the stairs, and we visit Whitby often. I got these for his Christmas present, and I know he will love them. They are so unusual and quirky. Whoever made them did a really good job.
Beautiful Lamp For A Lover Of Whitby
I bought the lamp for a friend who's favourite place is Whitby. I haven't given it to her yet, but I'm sure she'll love it. The lamp came promptly and in plenty of packaging to keep it safe. It's well made with an easy to use switch and no plug needed so it will sit anywhere in the home. I'm very happy with it.
A Brief History
The Whitby Guide began with the idea of sharing my love for a town I spent so much time growing up in; it's a place I have always felt most at home. So, for over a decade, we have been writing about Whitby. Throughout that time, my team and I have had the pleasure of visiting, researching, and writing about my favourite seaside town. Whether that be the best places to get fish and chips or listing fabulous events we want to share with the world, we now have over 500,000 words to inform, delight and encourage others to visit a place so special to us. Whilst visiting, I am often asked about my connections to the town, usually by locals who recognise my surname. Whitby is not just a holiday destination but also a tight-knit community, and I enjoy sharing my ties with the town.
Paylor's Of Whitby
I was born in Stoke-on-Trent and grew up captivated by a town almost 200 miles away on the northeast coast of North Yorkshire. I inherited my connection to the area from my dad, Kevan Paylor. He was born in Whitby in 1949 and brought up in the town, as well as my Grandad, Laurence, who was born in Whitby in 1916 but known locally as ‘Bill'. Laurence, or ‘Bill', was one of several children of Thomas (his father) and Jane Walker (his mother). Bill's siblings were Thomas (b 1914), Laurence (b 1916), Arthur (b 1919), Louis (b 1921), Wilfred (b 1923), Jean (b 1922), and Jonathan (b 1924).
Between them, with the added help of Wiltshire-born Grandmother Thelma, I was given a much-valued insight into Whitby's life' through the years and the history of many of the Whitby Paylor families. It was fascinating, and I never tired of visiting and listening to their stories.
Over the years, members of my large family have engaged in various employment activities, such as wholesale fruit and vegetable sales, retail fruit and vegetable outlets, scrap metal, ‘pleasure arcades' (amusements), jet jewellery making, and retail outlets.
To this day, many people remember my Dad or Grandad and will have a story or two to tell me, usually whilst in one of Whitby's many pubs!
Today
Today, Whitby Paylor's legacy lives on through this website.
To maintain a solid connection to my family history, in 2009, The Whitby Guide was born. Since then, it has developed from a passion project to a fully-fledged business that welcomes over 1 million website views annually. Our online shop continues to grow, and we have an audience of over 100,000 people across our social media channels.
I'm so proud of this website and eternally grateful to the hundreds of thousands of people who use our platform monthly.
Thank you to everyone who has helped turn my little idea into something big.
Thomas Paylor.
For Bill and Thelma.
Free Whitby Mini Guide
We have compiled all the essential information about Whitby into a FREE mini-guide, now available for download. This guide includes…
Why visit Whitby
Must visit landmarks
Our top 10 things to do
Where to stay
Local walks
Surrounding areas
