Skipper Dora Walker Statue
Art In Whitby, North Yorkshire
Lifesize wire sculpture of an adventurous lady who was the first female skipper of a fishing boat up north.
You may wish to have a wander around Whitby and learn some of its heritage and one way to do this is with the Whitby Walk with Heritage trail, for which artist Emma Stothard created the sculptures.
“Each figure is made from steel wire carefully woven by hand around a steel armature then hot-dip galvanised. There are nine sculptures: you can see them in any order, “
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Up on West Cliff, just to the side of the Bombardment Garden, is the statue of Skipper Dora Walker which was installed in 2022.
Dora Muriel Walker (1890 to 1980) was the fifth girl and tenth child of genteel parents whose father, John Ely Walker, was a wealthy owner of a blanket manufacturing business. Unlike Victorian and Edwardian children, Dora grew adventurous and it appears Mr and Mrs Walker did not stop her.
As the First World War started, Dora, at 24 years old, wanted to help and joined the Red Cross as a nurse, however females generally were not allowed behind enemy lines. So Dora joined the Belgian field hospital and brought with her an ambulance that her parents had donated. She worked at the Queen of the Belgians Hospital.
After the war Miss Walker toured the world as did many of her ilk.
She was to have bronchial problems and her doctor advised her to move to the seaside, so Whitby it was. There were fond memories of holidays here. Daneholm in Sandsend became her home.
In the 1930s, she enjoyed the town and its fishing, becoming a proficient sea fishing skipper. Dora then procured her own coble boat, the Good Faith WY97, which was built locally. She was the only female skipper to hold the licence throughout WWII in the North East. Dora acted as a pilot for boats through the minefields.
When news of the Dunkirk evacuation spread, she volunteered, but was told that Cobles were not needed and she would be better served catching fish and crabs. Skipper Dora was issued with a tin hat and carried a pistol as there were stories of German aircraft swooping down and shooting at the fishermen. She chose not to wear the hat.
On many occasions she helped other fishermen and also assisted in sea rescues alongside the lifeboat crews. Laurie Murfield crewed with her until she retired in 1954, when she gave him and his son the Good Faith.
Miss Walker never married but was busy in Whitby.
“During her lifetime, she wrote three books, one about her experiences in WW1 and two about fishing in Whitby : They Labour Mightily and Freemen of the Sea. [..] She became curator of the Shipping section of Whitby Museum in 1946 and had a great love of antiques many of which were housed at “Daneholm”, including “Captain Cook” who stood at her front door. She was made Vice President of the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society and also President of the Ladies Lifeboat Guild in 1952, Keeper of Whitby Museum in 1954 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1953.”
Whitby Museum
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How To Find Skipper Dora Walker Statue
Where Is Skipper Dora Walker Statue?
Lat / Long
54.490661, -0.618156
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Where To Park For Skipper Dora Walker Statue?
Lat / Long
54.490284, -0.61811
What three words
Most parking on the West Cliff is on street, and charged. It will be very busy during peak times. There are large car parks on the East side where a good walk up to the West Cliff will stretch those legs. It is also precarious to drive from the Pier Road up the Kyber Pass, due to the amount of people about and twisting road. So best to enter the town from the West side if you are intent on parking on this side.
Contributed by Rosalind Parker
Thank you for reading. I hope it sparks your interest. It’s always a pleasure to get out and explore, whatever the weather. I enjoy uncovering little snippets of information, especially when they’re obscure, amusing, or meaningful. All photos were taken on a mobile phone.
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