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The Friends of Whitby Abbey* were established in 1989 in order to encourage interest in, and a better understanding of, Whitby's famous and historic Abbey. |
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| Abbey & Church from piers | E side from Spion Kop |
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| Whitby in the snow |
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| Abbey W end window |
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| E end of the Abbey |
The surviving ruins standing proud on Whitby's Eastcliff, visible from all directions both land and sea, are of the Norman monastery re-founded in 1078 and dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539. They were preceded by an Anglian abbey of Streoneshalh founded by St Hilda in 657 on the same site. This early abbey disappeared some time after the Viking settlement of 865, leaving no trace above ground, but partly excavated in the 1920s: the objects discovered then are on display in Whitby Museum. Further excavations at the end of the twentieth century demonstrated the existence of a substantial Anglian "town" on the edge of the headland.
The Friends work in co-operation with English Heritage which has stewardship of the ruins, and to whom we represent the views of the people of Whitby. The owner of the site and lord of the manor Sir Frederic Strickland-Constable is both our patron and a trustee. Membership of the Friends costs £5 p.a. in return for which members get free admission to the Abbey.
We also organise occasional talks, visits and publications. Our current major project is the preparation for sale of a DVD which will provide a facsimile of each page of the Abbot's Book or Whitby Cartulary. We also intend to publish a translation and a series of pamphlets drawn from material in the Cartulary. This should be invaluable to national and local historians but also of interest to schools and those interested in family history.
Current publications
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An illuminated (decorated) version of the Hymn of Caedmon, with translation [£2.50 + £1.50 p & p : cheques or postal orders only] |
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Whitby Abbeylands Walks, a fully colour illustrated 64-page book of 13 interlinked circular
walks around the boundaries of the medieval abbey's estates. It has full navigation text and
detailed plans of the walks, together with background information. [£7.99 + £1.50 p & p: cheques or postal orders only]. |
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Links
Whitby Abbey - English Heritage site
How to contact us
By letter to Friends of Whitby Abbey, c/o Whitby Museum, Pannett Park, Whitby, YO21 1RE;
By email to fowa@rlp.waitrose.com
* FoWA is both a registered charity (701566) and a company limited by law (02374902).
