Whitby Abbey - Ruins in North Yorkshire on the North Sea Coast
Seaward from the inland moors and dales is one of Yorkshire's most evocative images, Whitby Abbey. Dominating the coastal skyline, it has a commanding veiw of the coastline and Whitby harbour. These are the poignant ruins of Whitby Abbey. One of the county's most historically significant landmarks. It is located within 200 metres of the North Sea on the towns East Cliff. It is surrounded by the harbour, the town, the sea and the North York Moors. A small fee for entry will take you into the grounds of this English Heritage property. Entry to a small exhibition about the history of the Abbey and area is included in the fee.
History of Whitby Abbey
The abbey, which is also known as "St Hilda's" after its first abbess, was founded in 657 AD by Oswy, the Saxon King of Northumbria. In 664, it was the chosen site of the Synod of Whitby, which green-lit the introduction of several Roman traditions into the church, including a new way to determine a date for Easter (a system that remains in place today). As a direct result of these new ways, Celtic Christianity began a steady decline in Britain. In contrast, the abbey's fortunes were on the up and it soon became a hive of activity serving both the local community and an influx of pilgrims. In addition to serving as a burial place for monarchs, it was also the home of saints, including the religious poet Caedmon.
Whitby Abbey's golden age continued until 867. It then fell to a Viking raid and was subsequently abandoned for over 200 years. In 1078, a man named Reinfred, one of William the Conqueror's knights, stopped at the town as part of a pilgrimage. He was so moved by the beauty of the ruined monastery he decided to rebuild it. The new abbey was constructed in the Benedictine style and by the early 1200s it had, once again, become a thriving epicentre, with a compliment of 40 monks and a sizeable income from Whitby's harbour. Due to its growth, a new, larger church was commissioned, but its final completion was delayed due to the widespread impact of the Black Death. Despite this, the new church remained the town's religious focal point until the 16th century and the heralding of the Dissolution. Naturally, the abbey suffered greatly; it was stripped of all valuable materials and pilfered for its stone. Nevertheless, much of the building work remained, and the ruins' unmistakeable outline continued to serve as a navigation marker for seafarers. Most of the structures now present on the grounds date from the 13th century construction.
Chombley pilfering
The majority of the stone taken from the site was commandeered by its new owners, the Cholmley family, to create an adjacent mansion. In the 1600s, Sir Hugh Cholmley the Elder made improvements to various buildings; after which his son installed the lavish landscape gardens. The Cholmley domicile now serves as the visitor centre, which houses an impressive array of artefacts excavated from the abbey's grounds. There's also a CGI presentation, which explains how the local headland has been transformed over the years, and an audio-visual display that recreates the successive incarnations of the abbey and its spectacular environs. Visitors can also learn of the various figureheads that have dominated the history of Whitby itself. Names included range from St Hilda, to Bram Stoker, who lived in the town and famously used it as a setting for his magnum opus, Dracula.
Whitby Abbey
Abbey Lane
Whitby
YO22 4JT
Opening Times
1st April until 30th September 10am to 6pm all week
1st October until 31st October open 10am to 5pm all week
1st November until 31st March 10am to 4pm Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
24th until 26th December and 1st January Closed
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