I am not sure why but we always seem to go to the coast in December. I think it is because then we can take Dusty and let him loose on the beaches. Most beaches are off limits to dogs from May-September.
Whitby is about a 4 hour drive from Cambridge. It is located up in Yorkshire and is along the coast. Its a lovely little sleepy coastal town with the river lined with lobster traps.
Whitby was a monastery in the 7th Century and you can see the beautiful Whitby Abbey on top of the hill looking down on the town. The abbey allows dogs on leads and is an English Heritage property. It inspired Bram Stoker to write Dracula. You might be surprised to learn that this is also known as the English Gothic capital. At the top of the 199 steps is a church. I thought it was very unique because the pews were like boxes and had names of places on them, worth a visit before or after the abbey.
You can also buy a lucky ducky from the Whitby Lucky Duck shop as recommended to me by Jane. It also asks that if you do win something after buying this duck to let them know and you will be sent a presentation duck.
A lot of the cafes and pubs allow dogs in them which was nice for us as it rained everyday except the last day we were there!
Another attraction is the Magpie Cafe. My friend said that during the summer time there are queues to get into this place but lucky for us, it wasn't as busy in the winter. I have a milk allergy and had decided when I saw the lobster traps here, I had to have some. I asked them if they could make it without butter, and they did, when restaurants do this and make me feel comfortable, I always have to mention them. I do write them and let them know how much it means to me.
I have to mention the lovely cottage that we stayed in whilst we were here. It was an 18th century cottage with steps leading down to the main street. It allowed dogs and was walking distance to everything, we didn't drive at all while we were here. Whitby is also a great launching place to stay in and venture to nearby villages.