Whitby Abbey - impressive gothic ruins of a 13th-century North Yorkshire Benedictine Abbey
Whitby Abbey was initially a monastery, founded in 657 AD, and known as Streaneshalch. After the Danes' raids in 867 and 870, the monastery was abandoned for around 200 years, after which a Benedictine Abbey was built on its site.
After Henry VIII's 'Dissolution of Monasteries' (1536-1541) Sir Richard Cholmley bought the Abbey, and it remained in the Cholmley/Strickland family until 1920 when they gave it to the UK government. Whitby Abbey is an English Heritage Site.
Opening times and admission
Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm
A standard entry ticket is £11 if bought online or £13 if you buy the ticket on the day (child, family, and English Heritage Member tickets are also available)
Tickets for Illuminated Whitby Abbey are £12.50.
How to get there
Whitby Abbey is a 15-minute walk from Whitby Train Station.
If driving there, parking is available very close to the Abbey.
Address: Abbey Lane, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO22 4JT
The Abbey's ruins have been a source of inspiration for many writers, including Bram Stoker. A part of his famous novel - 'Dracula' is set around Whitby and Whitby Abbey.
Illuminated Whitby Abbey
For Holloween, between the 24th of October and the 2nd of November, between 6 pm and 9 pm, Whitby Abbey hosts live theatre performances while the ruins are brightly illuminated.
After visiting the ruins, I paid a quick visit to Cholmley House (Whitby Hall) which is very close to the abbey. The banqueting house, built in 1672 is now a museum, shop and visitor centre for Whitby Abbey.
It's quite a small museum, but it does contain a lot of interesting bits of history, as well as a signed copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula.
How long does it take to visit Whitby Abbey?
Visiting the ruins of Whitby Abbey, as well as the museum took me a bit more than an hour, so I would recommend setting aside 1-2 hours, or slightly longer if you're there for the Illumination performances.
I paired this visit with one to Scarborough, as it is only a 30-minute drive away.
Have you ever been there? If so, I would love to hear about your visit there, in the comments below.
If you like this post or found it useful or entertaining, please click on the little heart below.
I hope life is treating you well.
Take care.
Comments