Whitby Abbey

Advantages: Good views. lots of history
Disadvantages: Admission charges

...If you visit the small, picturesque seaside town of Whitby in North Yorkshire the one thing that you cannot fail to see are the eerie ruins of the Abbey, perched high on the hillside overlooking the town. If you decide to explore this little fishing town further you will find reference to Whitby's most famous hero, Captain Cook at every turn, but almost just as prominent, though less well known nationally, are the references to St Hilda. During the 7th century AD the Northumbrian tribe ruled these lands and Lady Hilda, was the niece of Edwin, who was the first Christian King of Northumbria, having been converted to Christianity by the Irish Monks that had settled close to here. Hilda was a formidable character, her Saxon name is even derived from the word "hild" meaning battle, and her uncle appointed her the Abbess of this Abbey. In...

micksheff 09.08.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire

visit Whitby the Heartbeat of North Yorkshire

Advantages: historical treasure trove
Disadvantages: poor road network

..., by way of sights and the view from the Abbey headland has to be one of the best in Yorkshire. The cost to enter the abbey is currently £1.70 per adult. One of Whitby's key landmarks such on the West cliff , is the Royal Hotel. This hotel was built in the 1860' to cater for the new railway which had just connected to town to Pickering 15 miles away.The Royal regularly appears on Heartbeat which owes it's soul to Whitby. The Royal is now owned by Shearings the coach travel company . They use it for three and four day package breaks along the East coast , and I've often counted six coaches outside the hotel at once . Just across the road from the Royal is the infamous Whalebone arch. These are a reminder of the history of the fishing port, and prove unfailingly popular with foreign tourists especially. There is also a west...

Gardenex 08.01.2001 (29.05.2001) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Whitby in General

Whitby's wonderful harbour

Advantages: Lots of history, plenty to see and do
Disadvantages: Some areas are not suitable for disabled visitors

...'s harbour covers an area of around eighty acres and includes two piers and two different lighthouses but its origins date back to the early 16th century. By 1615 coal from Newcastle was being shipped out from Whitby and also aluminium that was mined at Guisborough. It is during this period that the harbour area experienced its greatest growth and by 1635 Whitby had began building its own ships to supply the coal and aluminium trades. By 1706 Whitby was the sixth largest port in Britain and during that year it built 130 different ships and vessels. Within another few decades Whitby had also established itself as the premier fishing port on the Yorkshire coast and between 1735 and 1837 it became the home of the whalers and the Baltic Traders. Its association with shipbuilding however continued until 1908 when the last vessel to be built here...

micksheff 01.07.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Whitby Harbour

Walking in a Whitby Wonderland

Advantages: Spectacular setting, great northern seaside tradition
Disadvantages: Tricky to get round in parts, far too easy to stuff your face!

...Over the years, I've spent many a glorious family weekend sampling the delights of the traditional fishing port of Whitby, a genuine treasure of the North Yorkshire coastline, tantalisingly within reach of Newcastle, York and Scarborough. It's a town rich in maritime tradition, popular with young and old, steeped in history and reeking of premium freshly caught fish and chips. Fittingly in the very place where the famous Dublin born 19th century novelist, Bram Stoker found the inspiration, amongst the haunting cliff-top Abbey ruins, to write his masterpiece of Gothic intrigue Dracula, the local gemstone is Whitby Jet ; dark, opulent and magical in every aspect. All dressed in black for a day at the seaside And believe me, if like us you happen upon Gothic weekend, if you go down to the beach that day you're sure of a big...

paulwilsontastic 05.02.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Whitby (England)

Whitby

Advantages: Lots for old and young
Disadvantages: none

...Whitby is situated in the North of England and is a seaside resort; it?s classed as a Town and is very busy during the summer season. It is divided really into two parts the East Side, which is the older part, and the West Side, which is the more modern part. These are separated by an old Swing bridge, which regularly opens to let passing fishing boats through. There is a cobbled Street that contains the more Olde Worlde shops, gifts that are a little different, plus a Glass shop that makes ornaments and the famous Lucky Ducks that you can actually watch the glass being blown. Old-fashioned photography studios let you and the family dress in Victorian clothing and have a photograph done in the old sepia style. For Sweet lovers there are two shops that make and sell their own delicious sweets and fudge, everything from original to...

broksababe 27.07.2000 (28.12.2000) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Whitby in General

Gothic ruins are well worth a visit!

Advantages: Great ruins, wonderful views
Disadvantages: A steep climb if you choose to go that way

...Whitby is a picturesque little town on the north east coast of Yorkshire. The main industry of Whitby is fishing as it has been for many years and you can still watch the boast coming in and landing the catches if you're up early enough! It is set at the mouth of the River Esk and the town is split with shops, pubs and houses rising steeply on either side of the river, which is spanned by a swing bridge to allow ships to pass upstream. On the east cliff of Whitby stands the ruins of Whitby Abbey which is reached by climbing 199 steps so it's not for the faint hearted, although to be fair you can also get to it by road which cuts out the steps. You might think I'm mad but for me walking up the steps was part of the attraction. There is also a slope at the side of the steps but, trust me, you wouldn't want to try and push...

SusanLesley 21.03.2008 (22.03.2008) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire

Wish you were in Whitby, but bring a coat ... !

Advantages: Lovely place, nice atmosphere, not over-run by pests
Disadvantages: journey was difficult, was rather too commercial

...) and the small local businesses? So, as you may have gathered Whitby is not the most beautiful of places, especially as it is a rather busy port. However, it does have a bit of charm about it and if you ignore the plastic tourists and commercial branding take-over, it really is a sweet place. FACILITIES CINEMAS: Whitby, unfortunately does not have a cinema. The local cinemas are at Scarborough and Teesside, each of these is around 10 -25 miles away. Scarborough has two smaller cinemas and Teesside has a multi complex complete with bowling alley and café. LIBRARY: There is a main library in Whitby which is sign posted the route at the Tourist information centre. Unfortunately unless you are a member of Yorkshire libraries and have one of their library cards you cannot use this service, although occasionally in the summer popular...

wantaratgirl 20.02.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Whitby (England)

A sense of calm

Advantages: Lovely day out
Disadvantages: Lots of steps

...A BIT OF HISTORY? The abbey stands high on a cliff and can be clearly seen when standing in the centre of Whitby, so even first time visitors like ourselves find it easy to locate. The first abbey was built in AD 657 by St Hilda and was destroyed in a Viking invasion in AD867. It was rebuilt in the late 1070s and the building of the present church began in 1220. Because of its location on the top of a cliff, it was not destroyed during the dissolution in Henry 8th's time but was (and still is ) used as a navigation marker. We went to the abbey from the Whitby harbour area, where the abbey can be reached by climbing the 199 'abbey steps' (or Caedmon's Trod). Foa anyone not feeling up to this, the abbey can be reached via a well-signposted road leads from the town outskirts to the cliff-top abbey. The walk up the steps is quite...

danielalong 17.07.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire

Ahhh! Yorkshire

Advantages: Can use just one. Authentic taste
Disadvantages: Not really big enough for my liking and not the same as home-made!

...Having a fussy eater as a son means that I've become a little more "experimental" in the food that's available in the house. In desperation I've tried products that I wouldn't have dreamed of buying before having children. Sometimes this is just to offer variety, other times it's for convenience. Yorkshire puds have to be one of the easiest things to make. There's nothing fancy in the batter and, when you're cooking a roast it's no hassle to slip a tray in the top oven. However, upon discovering that my son actually liked these and having had little success in freezing home-made pies I decided to try some of the ready-made versions so that, when offering my son a roast mid-week (made from a roast that my husband and I have most likely shared the night before) I can also offer a pud alongside. Bisto Yorkshire Puddings caught...

CareBear 19.10.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Bisto Premium Yorkshire Puddings

Whitby - Heartbeat country

Advantages: olde world not spoilt
Disadvantages: not wheelchair friendly

...village, and cliff top walks, or inland to the North Yorkshire Moors and onwards to the Dales. What to do and see - Dracula Experiance - Marine Parade, Whitby, YO21 3PR. probably not for the very small child, the experience includes animated characters with special effects in scenes from the book by Bram Stoker, Open: Easter-Sept;10:00-20:00 Mon-Sun. Winter: 12:00-18:00 Sat & Sun Whitby Abbey - Abbey Lane, set high on the cliffs above the harbour, the first religious community was founded at Whitby by Abbess Hilda in 657AD. Ruined, Bram Stoker used this site for a scene in his novel Dracula New Visitor Centre opened 2002 with presentations and videos, Open: Mar-Sep 10:00?18:00; Oct 10:00?17:00, Nov-Mar : 10:00?16:00; Closed Xmas & New Year Captain Cook Memorial Museum - Grape Lane, Whitby, YO22 4BE, dedicated to Captain James...

sheffsal 29.09.2004 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Whitby (England)