Dora Walker

Dora Muriel Walker (1890-1980) was the first female skipper of a fishing boat in the North East and played a leading role in Whitby’s fishing heritage. Born in West Yorkshire, she was educated at Roedean and nursed at a Belgian hospital and then in Calais during WWI. Suffering from bronchial problems, she moved to Whitby on medical advice during WWII. She bought a fishing boat, the Good Faith, piloted boats through the minefields and was the only woman skipper who held a licence in the North Sea throughout the War. She was Honorary Keeper of the Whitby Museum and President of the Whitby Women’s Lifeboat Guild. She wrote several books, which include her memoirs and tales of fishing. The statue, consisting of a steel armature wrapped in hot-dipped galvanised steel wire, is part of a series of works completed by the sculptor on 26 March 2021 for Whitby’s Walking Heritage Trail.

Location: West Cliff, Whitby, North Yorkshire.