Whitby steps: Pub next to Whitby’s famous 199 steps to open basement bar

A 150-year-old pub next to Whitby’s famous steps has put in an application to open a basement bar on the historic site.

Owners of The Duke of York pub, which sits at the bottom of the town’s iconic 199 steps, have put in a bid to extend its drinking area into the basement.

New plans submitted to the local council by Stonegate bosses have revealed a bid to expand, with a view to expanding their capacity for trading at the popular tourist hot spot.

Operators are seeking to expand the premises with the creation of a second underground drinking den, with the licensing application stating owners want to “licence the bar in the basement and to permit the sale of alcohol from that area”.

If successful, the application will grant the new bar a license to trade from 10am-10pm. However, it is stated by Stonegate on the application that the pub’s permitted opening and trading hours would remain unchanged.

It would certainly be a change for the historic site, which has ale house origins that can be traced all the way back to the Domesday book.

Found on Church Street at the bottom of the town’s famous 199 steps, the Duke of York pub might look modern today but it’s actually 150 years old.

It sits on the site of an original ale house dating back 1,000 years, with origins that can be traced all the way back to the Domesday book.

The pier behind the pub, meanwhile, dates from 600AD and is thought to be the oldest remaining in England.

It’s truly a historic site, and a popular stop-off for tourists eager to witness spectacular views of Whitby’s harbour from the top of the town’s 199 steps.

But now it looks like things are set to get a bit of an upgrade.

Featured image – Stonegate Group

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