Whitby Abbey

Just visited Whitby Abbey today. We have recently become English Heritage members (bought with tesco vouchers) so entry was free. Usually its £5.50 each. Beware English Heritage do not own the car park and you have to pay and display. We parked just up the road for free (outside the pay and display carpark) As you enter the abbey you can choose whether to take the audio tour, i would recommend it - it has lots of information on it. If you dont want to listen to certain bits just turn it off. The abbey itself is very impressive although it got very windy up there, i would recommend a jacket even in summer. In the visitors centre ...  Read the complete review

A BIT OF HISTORY... The abbey stands high on a cliff and can be clearly seen when standing in the centre of Whitby, so even first time visitors like ourselves find it easy to locate. The first abbey was built in AD 657 by St Hilda and was destroyed in a Viking invasion in AD867. It was rebuilt in the late 1070s and the building of the present church began in 1220. Because of its location on the top of a cliff, it was not destroyed during the dissolution in Henry 8th's time but was (and still is ) used as a navigation marker. We went to the abbey from the Whitby harbour area, where the abbey can be reached by climbing the 199 'abbey ...  Read the complete review

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 ...  Read the complete review

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 ...  Read the complete review