Whitby & North York Moors Guide - Days Out Leaflets

The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin has
its foundation in Anglo Saxon times, when
Whitby was called Streoneshalh. But with the
coming of the Normans it is believed to have
been rebuilt by Serlo de Percy and his brother
William around 1110. Subsequent generations
have altered and enclosed the original
structure and now only the chancel and parts
of the southwest walls are of Norman origins.
Did you know?
The highest point of the east coast
of England is located on Yorkshire’s
Heritage Coast. The cliffs to the
north of Boulby (near Staithes) are
a staggering 200m high!
Whitby - steep
steps and tall tales
few know Whitby’s history and quirky peculiarities as well as
Harry Collett - local story-walker. Harry kindly shared some of
the town’s secrets with us.
There is a right way, a wrong way, and a
Whitby way. This saying, well-known to the
inhabitants of the seaport, is perhaps best
explained by asking you to consider all the
ports on the eastern seaboard of England.
They all have a north bank and a south
bank but in Whitby, there is an East Cliff and
a West Cliff. Very important, particularly
should you be searching for the strange
and supernatural.
Stand at the Whale Bone Arch early in the
morning looking across to the East Cliff and,
during the summer months, you can see
the sun rising out of the sea. Likewise on
an evening, stand in the same spot, turn 90
degrees and you will see the sun set into the
sea. The dying rays reflect in the windows
to the left of the clock tower of St Mary’s
Church, giving the impression that two red
22
eyes are staring at you (see below right).
Those eerie eyes were observed by Irish
author, Bram Stoker, from the reading room
in the first floor of the Royal Hotel, and
mentioned in his famous novel, Dracula.
In that publication a Russian ship ran
aground on Tate Sands in a terrific storm.
What many people do not realise is that
five years before Stoker wrote Dracula, a
Russian ship really did run aground on
those selfsame sands.
The difference between fact and fiction
was that in the fictional version the Irish
writer told of the vessel’s dead Captain,
tied to the steering wheel, clutching his
crucifix and rosary. In real life the Captain
was prosecuted for being drunk and
incapable whilst in charge of his vessel.
He wasn’t dead, merely dead drunk!
Inside the church are many curious features.
The roof, made in the 17th century by ships’
carpenters, gives the appearance of “tween
decks” on a wooden ship. The gallery masking
the chancel arch dates from 1612 and was
built for Lord Richard Cholmley, Lord of the
Manor. It is said that the triple-decker pulpit
was erected to prevent two members of the
House of Lords claiming seniority, so that
when the Bishop of Whitby was in town he
could preach from the top story, level with the
Lord of the Manor in his private pew across
the Chancel arch. Heaven forbid that one Lord
should be higher than the other, especially in
the house of the Lord!
The first Abbey, dedicated to St Peter and
ruled over by St Hilda, was the setting for the
Synod of 664. Missionaries from Ireland had
converted the northern regions to Christianity,
while Monks from Rome had converted the
south. King Oswy, King of Northumbria,
wished to reconcile the two churches and
called the great Synod of Streonshalh, with
representations from both Celtic and Roman
denominations. The main disagreement was
over the timing of Easter.
When it was pointed out that the Abbey was
dedicated to St Peter, founder of the Church
of Rome and to whom Christian tradition says
the keys to Heaven were presented, the Celtic
Bishops conceded to King Oswy’s authority.
Thus the moveable feast of Easter, based on
the phases of the moon, united Christians
under the banner of the Church of Rome.
In 867 the Abbey was laid waste by the Danes
and the remains of St Hilda and others were
recovered and removed south to be reburied
in Glastonbury in the Kingdom of Wessex.
The Abbey was re-established twice more.
Once by Benedictine monks following the
Norman invasion in 1066, but they were
forced to flee inland when the Vikings
returned to the eastern seaboard in 1153
and destroyed the Abbey.
The final rebuild is estimated to have
commenced in 1220, and continued until the
15th century. It was surrendered to Henry
VIII in 1540, but due to the dissolution of
the monasteries, the Abbey was despoiled
of everything of value and the land and
buildings were sold to the Cholmley family.
Throughout the ensuing centuries it speedily
turned into ruins, although a little restoration
work was conducted after World War One.
To get to the Church of St Mary’s and the
Abbey on foot, one needs to climb the 199
church stairs. The number of stairs has been
for a long time a matter of controversy. In
June 1761, Anglican Priest, John Wesley,
wrote that he had preached atop a hill,
ascended by 191 steps. Nineteenth century
guidebooks claimed a total of 194 steps
based on counting the landings.
During major restorations in 1877 the Church
authorities decided it should be settled once
and for all. The two church wardens testified
that there were 199 steps and inscribed it on a
stone tablet with their initials set in stone in
the graveyard wall to the right of the top step.
The correct way to be buried in Whitby was
to be lifted or carried up the stairs. It was
a question of economics really. To get to
the graveyard by horse-drawn hearse is a
two mile trot up Green Lane and around
the Abbey: an expensive option. So instead
you’d ask your friends “If I go first will you
carry me up, and if you go first I will arrange
for you to be carried up!” That is why there
opposite, main image: Whitby
abbey. inset: St mary’s Church. This
page, top: Steps to Whitby abbey.
are landings every so far up for the pall
bearers to rest the coffins on. Being Yorkshire
folk we did not wish a pall bearer to drop
dead and the vicar to have two for the price
of one! It’s just another of those little pieces
of the jigsaw that make up the saying a right
way, a wrong way and a Whitby way!
Join Harry on a walk around Whitby and learn about
the town’s rich history, its connection with the strange
and supernatural, and how it provided
the inspiration for Dracula.
• Heritage Town Tours
• Whitby Ghost Walk
• In Search of
Dracula Trail
Tel: 01904 821 734
Email: info@whitbywalks.com
www.whitbywalks.com
Whitby and the North York Moors Holiday Guide 2012 | 23