One of the most famous and photographed views in the country changed this week when Whitby’s whale bones were removed.
In situ since 2003, they have succumbed to the elements of the harsh weather which batters this corner of Yorkshire’s coastline and are set to be replaced by bronze replicas, costing £70,000, early next year.
These whale bones were actually a replacement for a previous whale bone arch, raised in March 1964, and are one of around 90 whale bone arches in Britain, according to Whitby Museum.
Others have also been replaced with a whale-bone-free alternative, as, since the outlaw of commercial whaling in most countries from 1986, replacements are difficult to source.
As the current whalebones were driven away from the West Cliff on Tuesday morning to be handed over to the University of York for research, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Coun Mark Crane said: “The whale bone arch is one of Whitby’s most treasured landmarks and an important part of the town’s maritime heritage.
“The removal of the arch is a landmark day in the town’s recent history, as visitors have flocked to see and photograph the bones for over two decades.
“Importantly, the bronze replicas provide an ethical alternative to the use of whale bones, allowing this iconic landmark and its connection to Whitby’s maritime heritage to be preserved in a way that reflects modern conservation values.”
While attitudes have changed, Whitby’s association with the whaling industry is a significant part of its history.
Between 1766 and 1837, ships left Whitby each year to travel into the Northern Fishery, and the waters of the Greenland Sea, the Davis Strait and Baffin Bay. Whitby Museum records show that between 1766 and 1816, 2,761 whales, 25,000 seals, 43 narwhals, 64 walruses and 55 polar bears were brought to Whitby by whalers.
When the ships returned, the blubber was rendered into profitable whale oil and whale bones and baleen were sold for use in corsets and parasols, the Whitby Museum article states.
In Whitby’s most successful year for whaling, 1814, 172 whales were caught by eight ships and boiled into 1,381 tons of whale oil, the average price of which was £32 per ton creating a profit in the region of £44000, equivalent to about £3,120,000 today.
The Whitby whaling industry ended in 1837 when Whitby’s last whaler, Campden, returned empty.
Long after this though, whale bone arches, and not just the famous one on the West Cliff, could be seen in various locations around Whitby.
Several arches stood in fields near Whitby Abbey, there were three at Airy Hill, an arch in Ruswarp stood until the 1920s, and an arch in Sleights, used as the structure for a shed, was removed in the 1970s.
With thanks to Eddie Jenkins BA History (Aberystwyth University) and MA Museum Studies (University of Leicester). More information about whaling in Whitby can be found via his blog for Whitby Museum here.
