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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Wonderful Whitby

Whitby's skyline is dominated by the ruins of St. Hilda's Abbey, high on Whitby's East Cliff. Spreading below Whitby, a maze of alleyways and narrow streets run down to the busy quayside. We were here with our daughter Kelley, Son in law Ric, and Grandson
Ezra. I hope the photo’s capture the beauty we felt and saw. We stayed at the
local Hostel which sits next to the Abbey. It was a youth Hostel and Steve and
I slept in bunk beds. He slept on the bottom and bugged me all night pushing on
the upper bunk.








From the old town of Whitby, 199 steps lead up to the parish church of St. Mary, whose churchyard on Whitby's East Cliff gave Bram Stoker the inspiration to write his
world famous book, Dracula. Our Grandson Ezra, of course, had to count them and said they were off, there were 201. Looking across the harbor toward East Cliff, you can see the view that inspired the fertile imagination of author Bram Stoker, who stayed in the Royal Hotel on the western side of Whitby while writing his famous novel. We all thought we saw ghosts in the famous cemetery. Maybe there is an orb in the photos.








Whitby is an ancient seaport and fishing village and has played a significant role in
English history. Its harbor, once the sixth largest port in Britain, lies where
the River Esk reaches the North Sea.
Whitby has produced its own famous sons. Among these are Captain James Cook,
the 18th century explorer and voyager who had set sail in the Bark Endeavour
from Whitby He made three voyages to the Pacific Ocean, accurately charting
many areas and recording several islands and coastlines on European maps for
the first time.
His most notable accomplishments were the British discovery and claiming of the east coast of Australia; the European discovery of the Hawaiian Islands; and the first circumnavigation and mapping of Newfoundland and New Zealand.























The Abbey was founded in 657 AD by the Saxon King of Northumbria, Oswy  as Streanshalh. The name Streoneshalh is thought to signify Fort Bay or Tower Bay in reference to a supposed Roman settlement or Roman Signal Station that previously existed on the site. He appointed Lady Hilda, niece of Edwin, the first Christian king of Northumbria, as Abbess. The double monastery of Benedictine monks and nuns was also home to the great Saxon poet Caedmon. 
In 664, the abbey, built on the east cliff overlooking the Esk and town of Whitby, was
the site of the Synod of Whitby, at which the Northumbrian Celtic church was reconciled to Rome.
In 867, the abbey fell to Viking attack, and was abandoned until 1078, when it was
re-founded by Regenfrith a soldier monk, under the orders of his protector, the
Norman, William de Percy.
The second monastery lasted until it was destroyed by Henry VIII in 1540.
The abbey buildings fell into ruins, and were mined for stone, but remained a
prominent landmark for sailors
































The most Spectacular achievement of Whiby is

THE BEST FISH IN CHIPS IN ALL OF ENGLAND!

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