Whitby Abbey

Whitby is a picturesque little town on the north east coast of Yorkshire. The main industry of Whitby is fishing as it has been for many years and you can still watch the boast coming in and landing the catches if you're up early enough! It is set at the mouth of the River Esk and the town is split with shops, pubs and houses rising steeply on either side of the river, which is spanned by a swing bridge to allow ships to pass upstream. On the east cliff of Whitby stands the ruins of Whitby Abbey which is reached by climbing 199 steps so it's not for the faint hearted, although to be fair you can also get to it by road which cuts out the steps. You ...

If you visit the small, picturesque seaside town of Whitby in North Yorkshire the one thing that you cannot fail to see are the eerie ruins of the Abbey, perched high on the hillside overlooking the town. If you decide to explore this little fishing town further you will find reference to Whitby's most famous hero, Captain Cook at every turn, but almost just as prominent, though less well known nationally, are the references to St Hilda. During the 7th century AD the Northumbrian tribe ruled these lands and Lady Hilda, was the niece of Edwin, who was the first Christian King of Northumbria, having been converted to Christianity by the Irish Monks that had ...