Captain Cook's Yorkshire

James Cook, the son of day-labourer was born in 1728 in the village of Marton; now a suburb on the edge of Middlesbrough.

The cottage where he was born was demolished in 1786; but close to the cottage site today is the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum which is well worth a visit.

Young James was baptized in the parish church of Saint Cuthbert in Marton; and at the age of eight, he moved with his family to Great Ayton six-miles distant. 

A cottage which was built by the young Cook's father in 1755 was demolished in 1933 and transported stone-by-stone to Fitzroy gardens in the middle of Melbourne, Australia. 

In it's place today in Yorkshire is a granite obelisk taken from Point Hicks in Australia; the first point of land spotted by Captain Cook when he sailed up the East coast of the newly discovered continent! 

An even larger monument stands centinal on Easby Moor above Great Ayton.  And it is well worth the walk up the hill to visit the monument to Captain Cook.

Captain Cooks Monument and Roseberry Topping.

The local postgate school in Ayton which young James attended for lessons is today the Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum; and it is also open to visitors.

In 1745, when Cook was then 16 years old, he moved to a little hamlet called Staithes over on the coast; there to become a grocer-boy in a shop. In Staithes today, you'll find the Captain Cook & Staithes Heritage Centre.  Another interesting museum to visit.

But not 18-months after arriving in Staithes, the young Cook set off to walk to Whitby; where he became an apprentice to the Quaker ship owners John and henry Walker.

The house in Grape Lane where James Cook had lodgings - right in the heart of Whitby - still stands today; but now it is another of the areas fine Cook-inspired museums; this time called the Captain Cook Memorial Museum. 

There is also a Bronze statue of Captain Cook on the West Cliff of Whitby - donated as a gift by the people of Australia - where he stands looking out over the North Sea that he spent his apprentice years as a sea-farer.

All of the ships - of a type known as "Barks" - in which Cook sailed during his various expeditions - including the Endeavour - were built in Whitby to a design known as a Whitby "cat".

A replica of the HMB Endeavour was built in Fremantle (Western Australia) and is now housed permanently at the Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney. 

It has, however, made several visits to Whitby - and each has been a huge success for the town where the story of discovery really began.

We hope it comes back to visit many times in the future.

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