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Whitby Abbey was a 7th-century Christian monastery that later became a Benedictine abbey. [1] The abbey church was situated overlooking the North Sea on the East Cliff above Whitby in North Yorkshire, England, a centre of the medieval Northumbrian kingdom.
Anglian Whitby. Following the collapse of Roman rule Britain fragmented into a number of small kingdoms, and by the 7th century Northumbria – roughly covering what is now Northumberland and Yorkshire – was the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
Buried beneath the soaring arches we see today are the remains of an earlier Anglo-Saxon monastery, whose tales of saints, poets and miracles still survive. From its early, pivotal role in the history of Christianity in England to the arrival of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Whitby is a place where history and legend meet.
In 2019 we invested almost £1.6 million to transform Whitby Abbey and celebrate the history of this iconic landmark. Explore 3,000 years of history in the new permanent exhibition with dramatic displays of unique objects and an interactive guide.
- Abbey Lane, Whitby, YO22 4JT, North Yorkshire
- 01947 603568
- History of Whitby Abbey
- Whitby Abbey Today
- Getting to Whitby Abbey
The Whitby headland was first settled during the late Bronze Age, and may also have been occupied by a Roman signal station in the 3rd century AD. An Anglo-Saxon monastery was first founded here by Northumbria’sKing Oswy in 657 AD, and became one of the most important religious centres in the Anglo-Saxon world. In 664 it was the setting for the Syn...
The abbey’s ruins continue to be used by sailors as a landmark at the headland, and were declared a Grade I Listed building in the 20th century. Today, Whitby Abbey is open to the public under the remit of English Heritage. There is also a modern visitor centre housed in Cholmley House (also known as Whitby Hall), a 17th-century mansion, which tell...
The nearest main road to Whitby Abbey is the A174, but access is via the cliff top Cleveland Way, off Hawsker Lane. A car park is located 100 metres from the abbey. The nearest train station is Whitby, 1⁄2 mile away. Buses 97 and 97A serve Whitby Abbey itself.
- Amy Irvine
At 9am on 16 December 1914, Whitby came under attack from the German battlecruiser Derfflinger. Three people were killed and many left homeless. The abbey ruins were a target, being hit by...
For the next 400 years, Whitby Abbey was an important and successful monastery until Henry VIII dissolved it in 1539. Historical documents show us the gifts to and
