And finally… be gin at the beginning
More than 1,000 people have submitted their names to be immortalised on a special spirits walkway at the Whitby Distillery’s new £2.4m home, due to open in spring 2027.
The distillery and its 80m walkway, made up of cast-iron panels, are more or less in the considerable shadow of Whitby Abbey, with the walkway linking into the Caedmon’s Trod footpath, running from the headland car park into Whitby town centre.
The cost of a single name of the walkway is £125, while two names together are £250 and three names £375, and no one could deny there’s a certain logic at work there. A combined family name is £175.
Jessica Slater, co-founder of Whitby Distillery with her partner Luke Pentith, explained that the walkway was designed to create a sense of journey, a literal walk through local history, community and craftsmanship:
“We are absolutely delighted with the response to our walkway so far. It will be made up of cast-iron panels, each engraved with the names of those who’ve supported the build, and installation will begin shortly. We wanted to create something more uplifting, a way for people to leave a little bit of themselves in Whitby, whether they live here or just hold it close to their hearts.”
Slater added that with a 100-year lease on the land, it’s something that will stand for generations to come. There should be space for more than 8,000 names in total, spread across 120 cast-iron panels, so there’s still time, but why would you hang around?
