Days out from Harrogate - Whitby and Sandsend

We made a late start from Harrogate, we took the route via Knaresborough and Minskip to the A1 and then via A168 picking up the A171 and got to Whitby Abbey car park around 11 am.  The roads are good and if there’s little traffic, fast.  Some of the car park payment machines were not working.  They take credit cards and you can use an app.

We heard other tourists saying the Abbey was not worth the money! The Abbey is run by English Heritage and is one of the most important monuments in the UK.  It was here in 664 at the Conference of Whitby held at St Hilda’s double Monastery that it was decided the Church would follow the Roman Rites and Traditions rather than those of the Celtic tradition including the date set for Easter. 

The original buildings of St Hilda’s monastery have long since disappeared but the ruins of the current abbey are on the same site and afford magnificent views aver the surrounding area and are in themselves remarkable.  They were badly damaged during a German bombardment of the town in 1914.

After viewing the Abbey and its museum we went down the steep stairs to the beautiful harbour, sadly there are few fishing vessels these days, but it a busy place for leisure craft and tours.  We went to one of my favourite places for fish and chips - compulsory for any day out by the sea in Yorkshire.  

After lunch we soaked up the ambience of the busy harbour before heading back up the stairs to the car park.  

We headed for my favourite beach Sandsend.  Visible from the Abbey, a strand stretches for what seems like miles at low tide.  Once the tide is fully in there is very little of the beach remaining and waves crash over the railings onto the road.  We spent a while on the beach before heading back to the car and returned to Harrogate by the same route. I love this beach there’s just sand and sea, a small hut and a small cafe serving light snacks. Parking is along the road and in a small car park - not many spaces.  Yes you need to pay!  If no spaces are available it is possible to park in Whitby and walk.  

We had foreign guests with us, they were stunned by the beauty and scale of the Abbey, its location and domination of the surrounding area.