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| Interesting Buildings |
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Situated at 127 Church Street, The Fine arts gallery run
by Christine Pybus is also her home. As she puts it, she lives in a museum,
for the building dates from around 1740 which means that as it backs onto
the outer harbour, Captain Cooks ship HMS Endeavour which was built in
Whitby, would have sailed past those windows. Occupants over the years have included "Stumper" Dryden,
with his wooden leg, a regular subject in Frank Sutcliffe
photographs. Frank Sutcliffe was of course the celebrated Victorian
photographer who did so much to record the local places and people for
posterity.
In the early 20th Century the building was a lodging house
for vagrants, and then was home to fishing families up until the 1950's
when it became a carpet shop run by "Geordie" Fryer,
(The present owner's mother bought carpets there).
More recently, the Oscar winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow spent the afternoon here whilst filming "Possession"
The two small cottages integral to the building have addresses on New
Way Ghaut, one being recorded as a Brothel, according to older locals,
still in use up until the 1940's.
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The
deeds still intact, go back as far as 1803 at which time the owner was one
Richard Cook, Master Mariner, but no relation to the world renowned
Captain James Cook. Many of the original features are still in situ
including panelling, floors, beams and fireplaces, now restored even down
to the colour of the walls.