Photo: aude / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
About this place
Whitby Abbey stands as a ruined church on the East Cliff above the North Sea in North Yorkshire.
Monastic life began on the site in 657 when St Hilda founded a double monastery for monks and nuns.
In 664, the abbey hosted the Synod of Whitby, where King Oswiu of Northumbria decided that the English church would follow Roman rather than Celtic practice for calculating Easter.
The site was destroyed by Viking raids around 867, but a Benedictine community rebuilt the abbey after the Norman Conquest, around 1078.
The surviving ruins are largely Gothic in character, dating mostly from the 13th and 14th centuries.
Henry VIII's commissioners closed the abbey for good between 1536 and 1540 during the dissolution of the monasteries.
English Heritage now manages the site.
The abbey is also known for its association with Bram Stoker's Dracula, following Stoker's visit to Whitby in 1890.
The visitor centre and museum are housed in a 17th-century building on the site.
Read more on WikipediaHistory
St Hilda founded the first monastery here in 657 as a double house for monks and nuns. In 664 the abbey hosted the Synod of Whitby, where King Oswiu of Northumbria decided the English church would follow Roman rather than Celtic practice for calculating Easter. Viking raids destroyed the monastery around 867, and the site lay derelict until a Benedictine community rebuilt the abbey after the Norman Conquest, around 1078. Henry VIII's commissioners closed the abbey for good between 1536 and 1540 during the dissolution of the monasteries.
Architecture
The surviving church ruins are Gothic in character, built over the 13th and 14th centuries, with the choir and north transept among the best-preserved sections. A 17th-century building on the site now houses the visitor centre and museum.
Worth knowing
Bram Stoker's visit to Whitby in 1890 led to an association with his novel Dracula, in which the abbey features in the narrative.
Facilities
Plan your visit
Nearest station: Whitby Rail Station (0.3 miles)
Nearby properties
Cholmley House
View Cholmley House on heritage mapOld St Stephen's Church, Fylingdales
View Old St Stephen's Church, Fylingdales on heritage mapWade's Causeway
View Wade's Causeway on heritage mapOld All Saints Church, Skelton-in-Cleveland
View Old All Saints Church, Skelton-in-Cleveland on heritage mapScarborough Castle
View Scarborough Castle on heritage mapHistoric places nearby
Within 5 miles of Whitby Abbey (YO22) there are 2 historic properties, including 1 historic building and 1 church, across Churches Conservation Trust and English Heritage sites.
Within 10 miles of Whitby Abbey (YO22) there are 2 historic properties, including 1 historic building and 1 church, across Churches Conservation Trust and English Heritage sites.
Within 20 miles of Whitby Abbey (YO22) there are 7 historic properties, including 2 historic buildings, 2 churchs and 2 castles, across English Heritage and Churches Conservation Trust sites.
Facts
A clifftop Gothic ruin that hosted a synod shaping English Christianity and later inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula.
- Type
- abbey
- Location
- North Yorkshire, England
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