Welcome
Our tour of Yorkshire concludes this week, when we travel to Whitby and its stunning hilltop Abbey.
As you drive up the coast from Scarborough, the Abbey can be seen in the distance for miles, as well as by sea from approaching ships.
Although our arrival was on a day that was wet, cloudy, and windy, the sight of it was still breathtaking as we came over the hill.
Whitby is famous not only for its abbey but also for one of its most famous sons, Captain James Cook. I will feature the Cook Museum tour we did in my Australia Day issue, but our supplementary feature this week involves Count Dracula!
Read on to find out what he has to do with Whitby and as always I hope you enjoy Traveling Through History with me this week.
Michelle
Savvy Travel Historian.
October Theme - Abbeys
Whitby Abbey
Background
Perched on top of the cliff overlooking Whitby township and harbour, Whitby Abbey’s history and the site upon which it stands dates back to the late bronze age with a timeline that spans at least 1500 years and possibly 3,000.
Whitby is located 1 hour 20 minutes north east of York and 40 mins directly north of Scarborough.
History
Historians believe that there have been people living on the Whitby Abbey site since Roman times. Although definitive evidence hasn’t been found, they surmise that a Roman signal station was likely near the site (in the 3rd century AD) but had probably fallen into the sea due to erosion over the centuries.
While the abbey appears to be close to the cliff edge now, natural erosion determined at around 10 meters every 100 years means that in Roman times, the headland was likely to have been at least 200 meters further out into the North Sea.
Additionally, the Whitby Museum houses an extensive collection of fossils from the Jurassic period (said to be the finest in Britain). The Yorkshire coastline provided a wealth of specimens and information for geologists and when the discipline was established in the 19thC, Whitby was at the center of this movement. Even today, world renowned scientists come to Whitby to study the collection.
Anglian Whitby
During the 7th- 9th centuries, a thriving religious community occupied the Whitby Abbey site, then known as Streoneshalh. Headed by Abbess Hild, the famous minster (or monastery), housing nuns and monks, was a significant double house, not uncommon at this time.
Founded by the King of Northumbria, (Oswiu) in 657 the Anglian’s were the communities that settled in the north east of the country, as opposed to the Saxon’s who arrived much further south.
In 664 the Synod of Whitby was held here, where King Oswiu decided that the Christian administration of his kingdom would begin to calculate Easter and other monastic holy days based on the calendar from Rome, rather than that of the Irish monks of Iona.
The community here were world famous and the peaceful rule in which St Hild ran the minster, led to her advice being sought from kings all over Europe. During her time there, five monks under her rule were created bishops.
Evacuations of the site have revealed a large thriving settlement here and a recent English Heritage project uncovered a large Anglian cemetery on the site of the new visitor car park, much larger than they had anticipated.
While clear evidence of when the community died out has not been found, it is likely to have coincided with the arrival of the Vikings in the mid-ninth century, as they attacked the English eastern coast. After this though, Danish settlers moved into townships along the eastern seaboard.
The Venerable Bede’s chronicles kept the legend of Hild and her community alive and by the 11thC, a new township of Whitby (which is a Danish name) was settled down the hill around the harbour and is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.
Benedictine Monastery
In the aftermath of the Norman conquest, William the Conqueror divided lands in the north and gave them to his supporters. One being William de Percy, who was to grant the abandoned minster land on the hilltop at Whitby to a community of monks who initially established a priory on the site.
Between 1086 and 1096, William de Percy’s son, William, established a Benedictine abbey here and the township of Whitby was given to it, to establish an ongoing income for the community. Further endowments followed from various supporters, not just the de Percy’s.
Like other ruins we have investigated, Whitby Abbey went through several developments from initial wooden and smaller stone buildings, before we see the church that is the abbey ruins of today.
A small stone romanesque style church was built around 1109 and the foundations are marked on the grass at the current site, to give visitors an outline of the different variations that were built.
The township’s church, St Mary’s was built in the early 12thC and it can be reached by its famous ‘199 steps’ from the township below. It is not known why it was built in this position, rather than in the middle of the town like most parish churches, but the site makes for a spectacular setting (as shown in the image below).
The new abbey thrived, becoming a powerful and influential religious institution during the medieval period.
In the 1220s, Abbot Roger decided to rebuild the abbey church, but the cost overstretched their finances and it would be another 200 years before it was completed.
Dissolution
While Whitby was one of the poorer Benedictine monasteries, it was still amongst the richest, of all the other orders in England. The dissolution commissioners assessed its income at £437 2s 9d. When Abbot Henry Davell surrendered the abbey on December 14,1539, there were 22 members of the community left.
The Cholmley’s
By 1540-41, the abbey site was being leased by Sir Richard Chomley, the ‘Black Knight of the North’ and by 1555 he purchased the freehold to the abbey site and subsequently added further parts of the estate to his land holdings.
The family did not live here permanently but seems to have stayed in the old abbot's lodgings in the summer months.
It was not until around 1631, that the abbot's lodgings were extended and the family lived (likely) in the now extinct gatehouse while renovations were made.
The restored house, the building on the right, is now the visitor centre, museum and cafe and is how you enter the site.
The family were on the wrong side during the civil war and were stripped of their estates by the Parliamentarians but they were ultimately returned after the restoration but were in a state of impoverishment and disrepair.
In 1790, when the roof of the new wing of the Abbey house blew off in a storm, it was not repaired, further dismantled and only the shell was left.
WWI Bombings
Its exposed position made Whitby and the abbey ruins a prime target for bombings during the First World War, and in 1914 it sustained extensive damage when the German High Seas Fleet, who appeared in the harbour, shelled the town and struck the abbey ruins themselves.
The abbey ruins were taken into the care of the Ministry of Works in 1920 and a program to rebuild the western door that had been bombed began.
Further information on the bombings and subsequent repair can be found in this interactive link prepared by English Heritage:
https://artsandculture.google.com/u/1/story/mwWB7oNyuTe3Jg
In 1993, English Heritage undertook a 20 year study on the Whitby site and the previous plus ongoing excavations to discover even more about the history of the Whitby Abbey site.
A monograph outlining their findings is currently being prepared.
A more in depth history of Whitby Abbey can be found here:
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/whitby-abbey/history-and-stories/history/
Construction
The abbey church, with its soaring arches and intricate detailing, stood as a testament to the skill of medieval craftsmen.
Its English Gothic architecture showcases what was capable plus the developments in the skills of craftsmen over many centuries.
However, the specific phase that is demonstrated most is that from around 1220 - 1250, which is shown in the pointed arches of the abbey, which was a technique developed in northern France in the mid-12thC.
The abbey was still relatively intact in the 18thC, which can be seen from paintings and engravings at that time.
The harsh climate in which it stands gradually weakened it and in 1736 the south transept collapsed, and most of the nave in 1762. By 1830, the central tower, which was no longer supported on its south or west sides, fell down.
The Church
The church and what is left of the nave (shown above) followed the classic Benedictine design, derived from the great monastery in Cluny France, and the detailing of it and the up-to-date design demonstrates that de Percy must have had Norman masons come over to build it.
The church was around 90ms long, which is the same size as a small cathedral.
Western End
The western end of the nave shows a surviving doorway, and is of a Romanesque design, which would have been from the earlier church on the site and was incorporated into the new building.
The Presbytery
The Southern end contains the Presbytery and the Sanctuary and is the largest section still standing at its original height (as shown above).
It is seven bays long and the 4th arch contains notches that suggest timber screens were used to enclose the Choir stalls.
A plan of the Abbey, outlining the phases of construction can be accessed here:
The location, outlook and the excellent museum make Whitby Abbey a must visit location when in Yorkshire.
Relevant Travel Information:
The Whitby Abbey site is maintained by English Heritage. The site includes a great museum inside the visitor centre, cafe, car parking and dogs are welcome.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/whitby-abbey/
Opened daily during summer and generally Wed-Sun in winter, tickets can be purchased here:
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
The Whitby Connection
Bram Stoker's iconic novel, "Dracula," published in 1897, is a Gothic masterpiece that has left an indelible mark on the horror genre.
The narrative, epistolary in form, unfolds through a series of letters, journal entries, and newspaper articles, creating an immersive and suspenseful experience for the reader. At the heart of the novel is the vampire Count Dracula, who journeys from Transylvania to England to spread the undead curse.
One of the most intriguing aspects of "Dracula" is its connection to the picturesque town of Whitby. Stoker spent several holidays in Whitby, and the town's haunting landscape and rich history left an undeniable imprint on his imagination.
The serene harbour and the eerie ambiance of the abbey provided Stoker with the perfect setting for key events in his novel.
The novel's protagonist, Jonathan Harker, travels to Whitby as part of his business dealings with Count Dracula. Whitby serves as the point of entry for the vampire into England, and the eerie atmosphere of the town is masterfully woven into the narrative. The abbey, perched high on a hill overlooking the town, becomes the site of some of the most chilling scenes in the novel.
The ship that carries Dracula to England runs aground at Whitby, with the vampire making a conspicuous and terrifying first appearance. The blending of the supernatural and the natural in Whitby mirrors the overarching theme of the novel, where ancient evil infiltrates the seemingly secure realms of the modern world.
Whitby's influence on "Dracula" is undeniable.
Stoker's vivid descriptions of the town's landscape and its integration into the plot contribute to the enduring mystique of the novel. Whitby, forever linked to the legacy of "Dracula," continues to attract literary enthusiasts and fans of the macabre, serving as a tangible connection to the timeless horror of Stoker's classic tale. A ‘Goth’ weekend is held twice a year, in May & October - the latter to coincide with Halloween.
In 2022, English Heritage celebrated the 125th Anniversary of the novel’s publication.
Part of the anniversary celebrations included a Guinness World Record attempt to have the most people dressed as Dracula in one place.
The attempt was successful when 1,369 ‘Dracula’s’ assembled in the hilltop at Whitby Abbey to be counted. The following link shows how the BBC reported it at the time.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-61597097
This quick Youtube video shows how the ‘Illuminated Whitby’ light show celebrates Dracula every year, but last year for the anniversary particularly.
St Mary’s church, located next to Whitby Abbey has so many people ask them where Dracula’s grave is that they have had to place a sign on the church door telling people there isn’t one! The Rector has been quoted as saying that they are a parish church and are not going to make up gravesites just to satisfy curious tourists; no matter how profitable that might be!
Further information on Stoker’s connection to Whitby can be found on the English Heritage website:
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/whitby-abbey/history-and-stories/dracula
Michelle is a speaker, author, content marketer, historian and mother of 3 boys.
After 25 years in business and as the ‘Content Marketing Queen’ for the past 12 years, she has helped countless small businesses understand and develop their content strategies and focus on a customer first approach.
Savvy Travel Historian is her passion project, and her weekly newsletter is available on Substack, Paragraph and Mirror. The latter two allows you to collect each Issue as an NFT.
Michelle is co-host of the Business on the Bloc podcast, a weekly show which talks about the digital media revolution and how it applies to B2B marketing, sales and operations. The show is recorded live every Wednesday at 4pm EST/ 9pm UTC on LinkedIn, YouTube & Bolt+.
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