Whitby Abbey

English Heritage

Whitby Abbey

Whitby Abbey is a place that all the family can enjoy - photograph courtesy of English Heritage.
Whitby Abbey is a place that all the family can enjoy - photograph courtesy of English Heritage.

Standing proud on its coastal headland, Whitby Abbey is one of Britain’s best known ruins, with visitors flocking to the gothic remains from every corner of the world, drawn by the haunting majesty of this former monastery.

The ruins people see today are the remains of the Norman abbey, built by the knight Reinfrid on his return from the Crusades. The Abbey was largely destroyed following the Reformation by Henry VIII, but has stood for the last 500 years as a reminder of the great Christian community that was based here.

Some of the ancient artefacts in Whitby Abbey's Visitor Centre - photograph courtesy of English Heritage.
Some of the ancient artefacts in Whitby Abbey's Visitor Centre - photograph courtesy of English Heritage.

However, the Abbey’s origins go back much further, to the year 657 AD, when a Northumbrian princess, Hild, chose this bleak location for her wooden monastery. The Abbey quickly grew into a thriving monastic community, and as Abbess Hild’s position within the Church grew in importance, her Abbey played host to the Synod of Whitby in 664, when representatives of many of the different branches of the Christian Church met to agree how the date for Easter would be decided – a decision that continues to determine the date to this day.

The Abbey has been a source of inspiration to creative artists and writers for centuries. England’s earliest known poet, Caedmon, wrote his first works when he was based at Whitby Abbey and, centuries later, Bram Stoker was inspired by the ruins to write Dracula, with the fearsome vampire landing on England’s shores in the shadow of the Abbey. Most recently, children’s author GP Taylor has featured the Abbey in a number of his books, including the best-selling Shadowmancer and The Vampyre Labyrinth trilogy.

Whitby Abbey - a place of peace - photograph courtesy of English Heritage.
Whitby Abbey - a place of peace - photograph courtesy of English Heritage.

Today, Whitby Abbey welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each year. Visitors can explore the site’s rich history in the interactive visitor centre, which includes touch-screen displays allowing visitors to ask questions of some of its previous occupants, and computer generated displays showing how the Abbey would have looked in its heyday.

The site is also very popular for picnics, with the wide open lawns perfect for pitching a blanket and enjoying the summer sunshine.

Rhiannon at Whitby Abbey - photograph courtesy of English Heritage.
Rhiannon at Whitby Abbey - photograph courtesy of English Heritage.

Whitby Abbey is open daily from 1 April to 30 September from 10.00am to 6.00pm, and 29 October – 2 November from 10.00am to 4.00pm, Thursday to Monday from 1 October to 28 October (10.00am to 4.00pm), and weekends (10.00am to 4.00pm) during the winter months. Admission prices are £6.20 for adults, £5.60 for concessions and just £3.70 for children, or free for English Heritage members.

For more information, please contact Whitby Abbey on 01947 603 568 or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/whitbyabbey. You can also follow WhitbyAbbey on Twitter for the latest event information.