RICHARD FOSTER and two of his children learn about medieval monasteries, a master mariner and life in Nelson's navy during a day out at Whitby

THERE is something romantic about the ruins of the medieval Whitby Abbey as they overlook the port from their prime cliff-top position.

They have seen a young Captain James Cook, arguably Britain's greatest seaman, learn his trade, witnessed the rise and fall of Whitby's whaling fleet and inspired the pioneering work of Victorian photographer Frank Meadow Sutcliffe.

Nowadays the ancient stones see countless tourists flocking to Whitby for its sights and the sea air.

This year English Heritage opened a visitor centre to encourage more people to learn about the abbey and its history.

The Easter opening ceremony marked the climax of the £5.7 million Whitby Abbey Headland Project to give greater public access to a part of the East Coast famous for its historic character, natural beauty and archaeological richness.

The visitor centre accommodates the shell of the house built by the wealthy and influential Cholmley family in the 17th century.

Windows, which were filled in in the 19th century, have been unblocked to give visitors magnificent views over the town and its harbour.

English Heritage and York-based company Past Forward have used the latest digital technology to offer visitors a memorable peek into Whitby's past. This innovative approach is complemented by displays of artefacts excavated from the headland.

Outside the visitor centre, people can discover the secrets of the abbey ruins at their own pace, thanks to the informative audio tour featuring an entertaining character called Brother William.

My son, Daniel, 12, and daughter, Rachel, nine, enjoyed the manic monk's amusing anecdotes, saying they brought the abbey ruins to life.

They were also fascinated by another Whitby gem, the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, which is tucked away in Grape Lane.

In the mid-18th century the building belonged to the Walker family. James Cook lodged there from 1746 to 1749, when he was apprenticed to Captain John Walker.

The house is a good example of a Whitby ship owner's residence, used both as a family home and as a place of business. The yard and slipway led to the harbour where the ships were serviced.

Visitors to the museum get a good idea of what life must have been like for the Walkers, who were Quakers and thus bought furniture that was simple, well made and long-lasting. It was certainly not to be discarded for reasons of fashion.

The Green Room features a table laid ready for a meal. No pictures adorn the walls in the Blue Room, because the Quakers had no time for such fripperies, although there is a large "24-hour" clock made in about 1730 by the Quaker clockmaker Robert Henderson, of Scarborough.

The central exhibit of the Whitby Room is a model of a Whitby collier-bark, settled on the mud at low tide behind Walker's house.

Aspects of Cook's illustrious naval career, which was dominated by his three great voyages of discovery to the southern hemisphere, are depicted in the London Room, the Voyages Room, the Scientists' Room, the Artists' Room and the Attic, where Cook lodged as an apprentice, studying by candlelight.

The museum offers a fantastic view of the Grand Turk, which was visiting Whitby during our day in the town.

Launched in Turkey in 1997, the Grand Turk is the first wooden British frigate to be built for more than 150 years.

The sailing warship is the realisation of a childhood dream of Surrey boat builder Michael Turk, whose family first built a ship for the defence of the realm in London in 1295.

She has starred in the popular television series Hornblower as well as Longitude, which told the fascinating story of the quest to design and build a marine chronometer.

Boarding the Grand Turk is like stepping back into time. Visitors get a graphic taste of what life was like in Nelson's navy.

Daniel and Rachel were shown how to navigate using a sextant; they felt the concrete-hardened crust of a ship's biscuit; they were shown how to fire a naval cannon; they were told why sailors were flogged; and they felt the comfort of a ship's hammock.

Fact file:

Whitby Abbey, Whitby Headland. Tel: 01947 603568

Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Grape Lane, Whitby. Tel: 01947 601900

Website:

www.cookmuseumwhitby.co.uk

Grand Turk, Turks Boatyard, Thames Street, Lower Sunbury, Middlesex. Tel: 01932 782028 Website: www.turks.co.uk

Getting there:

Whitby is about 50 miles from York. Take the A64 to Malton and then turn on to the A169 to Whitby via Pickering and the North York Moors

Updated: 09:29 Saturday, June 22, 2002