Whitby Abbey, Gothic abbey ruins in Whitby, England
Description
Whitby Abbey is a limestone monastic ruin on a cliff above the North Sea in Whitby, England. The twin towers and pointed arches remain visible from the water and shape the skyline along the coastline.
History
King Oswiu of Northumbria founded a monastery here in 657 and appointed Lady Hilda as abbess. The present ruins date from a later abbey built in the 13th and 14th centuries following the Norman Conquest.
Culture
This site hosted a major church gathering in the seventh century where King Oswiu chose between Roman and Celtic practices for calculating feast days. The decision shaped religious life across Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and brought England closer to continental church customs for centuries afterward.
Practical
English Heritage manages the site and offers guided walks, learning activities, and a museum inside nearby Cholmley House. The climb from town involves 199 steps, but a car park sits close to the entrance as well.
Did you know?
German warships shelled the ruin in 1914 during World War I while aiming at a signal post nearby. The damage to the already crumbling structure remains visible on some wall sections today.
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Yorkshire and the Humber brings together different sides of northern England. York shows its medieval walls, narrow streets with timber houses, and a gothic cathedral. Leeds and Sheffield show their past as centers of industry, with old factories turned into museums and new neighborhoods. Hull,...
Church of Saint Mary, Whitby
177 m
The Church Stairs
258 m
Cholmley House
72 m
Fortunes Whitby Kippers
250 m
Whitby Abbey Cross
126 m
16 And 18, Henrietta Street
260 mNo 17 White Horse Yard
232 mNo 16 White Horse Yard
238 m12 And 14, Henrietta Street
261 m28 And 30, Henrietta Street
251 mNos 4-6 White Horse Yard
232 m
The Abbey House
95 m
Whitby Youth Hostel
128 m11, Borough Place
239 m
Garden walls and gatepiers to the Abbey House
103 m20, Henrietta Street
255 mWorkshop Owned By Number 14 Blackburn's Yard
226 m9 And 10, Borough Place
245 mNo 15 Blackburn's Yard
243 m26, Henrietta Street
251 m37, Henrietta Street
264 m9, Clark's Yard, Church Street
226 m35, Henrietta Street
266 mNo 14 Blackburn's Yard
245 mWhitby Abbey
83 mScenic viewpoint
189 mScenic viewpoint
216 mScenic viewpoint
207 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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