Cholmley House, Banqueting house at Whitby Abbey, England
Cholmley House is a stone building standing beside Whitby Abbey ruins, featuring a forecourt called the Stone Garden with a replica of the Borghese Gladiator statue. The structure now serves as a visitor center, housing a museum and shop where guests gather information before exploring the abbey grounds.
Sir Hugh Cholmeley built the house in 1672 after his family purchased the abbey lands following the monastic dissolution in 1539. A severe storm in 1790 destroyed the north front and roof, triggering later structural repairs and reinforcement work.
The building served as a private home for generations and now functions as a space where visitors encounter rotating exhibitions about local history. Walking through its rooms, you notice how period furnishings sit alongside contemporary displays about the abbey.
The site is managed by English Heritage and provides visitors with museum displays and a shop facility. The location allows you to gather information before exploring the abbey ruins at your own pace.
The building retains hidden traces of its former life as a private residence in its room layouts and architectural details. These remnants give the museum spaces a personal quality that goes beyond typical exhibitions.
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