Whitby Abbey

North Yorkshire (English Heritage)


The Abbey of St. Hilda was founded in 657 AD. Only the foundations of this early monastery remain, and they were excavated by archaeologists in the 1920s and 1940s.

whitby abbey

Here, Beany Z (with the help of his hairy-armed assistant) points out the fine Gothic arches of the 13th century church. This part of the church is called the transept, and is the area which forms the two short arms of the cross-shaped plan.