Off the beaten track this place is huge and the gatehouse is the largest remaining in the country…read more Very impressive and loved by artists. You can go inside for, a fee up, the new staircase. Within the grounds stand the ruins of the monastic buildings, notably the elegantly decorated octagonal chapter house of 1282-1308. An early example of brick building in England, it proclaimed the wool trade-based prosperity of one of the wealthiest English Augustinian monasteries. Its founder Sir William le Gros, Earl of Yorkshire, was buried here. (Will the Fat) It is free to wander around it and I find it very atmosphering at dusk and eerie. I swear I have heard whispering voices. By day it is a lovely place to visit. They say if you take stone from the abbey you will die and there is a legend that a manor house build of it suddenly collapsed. Now you will think me mad but once on a sunny day I was walking back to the gatehouse from the chapter house and found myself rooted to the spot. My friends asked what was wrong and I said I couldn't move my legs and I couldn't! They pulled me and suddenly I was free. NO idea what it was but it scared me!

- [x] Walmgate Bar (cat trail)     - [x] Fishergate Bar…read more    - [x] Fishergate Postern Tower     - [x] Clifford tower - [x] Skeldergate bridge - [x] Baile Hill     - [x] Victoria Bar     - [x] Micklegate Bar (Tansy beetle mural nearby) - [x] Lendal bridge, Lendal tower, Barker Tower (judi dench walk nearby)   - [x] Multangular Tower in museum gardens where you'll find st Mary's abbey and the hospitium) - [x] Bootham bar - [x] Robin Hood tower - [x] Monk bar (5 mins to minster) - [x] Layerthorpe bridge (15 mins to minster) - [x] The red tower

This was one of our favorite activities in York! An absolute MUST if you're visiting. These old…read morecity walls surround most of the city and run about 2 miles long. It is free to go on the walk and there are guides throughout the city that will keep you on track. We did it in about an hour and a half (with a stop in to a cute coffee shop along the wall!). It is a great way to see the city + get some exercise after eating all of the incredible English pub food! There are multiple, narrow staircases and it definitely is not fit for a stroller so we carried our baby in his wearable carrier! This worked out really well. We would absolutely do this again on another visit - the scenery is gorgeous and it was a really cool experience with activations along the way.

I came across this odd landmark a few years ago doing geocaching. Having never seen or heard of one…read morein the UK before I found it rather intriguing. What it is, is a sulphur spring right beside the river tees. The smell of rotten eggs greats you as you approach down a small path but after about 5 minuets the smell no longer seems to be there however if you move away some distance and return it's back like a bad smell. Apparently it has some healing properties according to the Victorians who flocked to taste the waters. Having had a little taste my self it wasn't that inviting. The original fountain was replaced in 2000 but still looks the part (see images). If you are heading up teesdale via Barnard Castle then it's on the way. A small lay-by is provided to park in and then it's just a short 100m walk down a path.

Such a fascinating site to visit! I loved taking in the gardens and relaxing in this area. I highly…read morerecommend a visit.

A beautiful piece of architecture in the museum gardens, built in 1088 and the remains of one of…read morethe wealthiest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in England. The abbey occupied the entire site of the Museum Gardens and sat opposite theYork minster. What is left of the abbey is the remains of the nave where the monks prayed and sang, and the cloister, where the monks washed their clothes and were allowed to speak. King Henry VIII banned all monasteries in England in 1530s. The monks at St Mary's were pensioned off in 1540 and the abbey buildings were converted into a palace for the King when he visited York. Gradually the abbey fell into ruins and what you see now is what remains!

The admission is quite expensive, a lovely hall and the gardens are beautiful. The best time to…read morecome is near Christmas when they have deer feeding, you ride in a trailer at the back of a tractor and scatter food for the deer, the children loved it, so did we - so much better than Christmas shopping. Talking of which there is an excellent Christmas craft fair where you can pick up some great individual gifts. Nearby Triton Inn does a wonderful Sunday lunch.

An elegant country stately home build in the 18th century…read more The admission price is fairly expensive comapred to other stately homes but if you are in the area try and make a visit. There are beautiful walled garden with some lovely roses, fruit bushes and herbaceous border. Entrance to the house is through the Wagoners Museum and there is a cafe serving local produce on your way out.

This is a memorial stone dedicated to the Pilgrims going to America…read more In 1608 the attempt to leave for Holland was made, this time from Killingholme Creek near Immingham where a Dutch ship waited. Men were ferried aboard first, but before the women and children could do so an armed crowd intervened. The Pilgrim Fathers left from the bank of the Humber at a place called Immingham Creek to Holland in 1608. The actual spot was marked by a memorial which was erected in 1924. The granite top stone of the memorial was taken from Plymouth Rock, Mass and presented by the Sulgrave Institution. The memorial was erected by the Anglo-American Society of Hull. The memorial became surrounded by industry as the Immingham dock area expanded and was moved in 1970 to its present site in a small park opposite the church in Immingham. According to Alan Tailby in his book the Pilgrims did hire a boat to take them to Holland from Boston in 1607 but the skipper, after taking their money, betrayed them to the authorities and they were imprisoned for a time. Many of the streets in Immingham are named after the Pilgrims: e.g. Clyfton Crescent and Brewster Avenue. Some 22 million Americans claim descent from the Pilgrim Fathers who sailed in the Mayflower and related crossings. The memorial stone, erected in 1924, on the estuary, was moved in 1970 to near St. Andrew's church because of re-development.When I worked in the archeology department I remember listing this as an SMA. (Sites and Monuments). Many Americans visit it each year.

We visited September 2024, on a Last Kingdom pilgrimage from London to Bamburgh. Whitby was a must…read moresee for us, having been established by the Abbess Hild, who was portrayed in TLK. Even though liberties were taken with her timeline in the show it made sense to add Whitby Abbey a stop on our tour. The Abbey is a typical medieval Norman structure, one of many torn down by the **** Henry VIII when he had enough of Catholics. The state of ruin though adds to the mystique of the place. Its magnificent unmistakable shape seen for miles around atop the cliffs of Whitby, looking over the mouth of River Esk. We were lucky with the weather, a cool but clear sunny day. I can imagine it gets pretty cold and blustery up here, so pack accordingly, just in case. Its a fair bit of walking too, much of it up hill, even from the adjacent parking lot. So leave plenty of time if you are a slow huff-and-puff walker like me. If you're feeling fit then theres the 199 steps up from the town below. There is a great museum that covers a great deal of history of the area and the Abbey. Of course all the Bram Stoker and Dracula associations are noted and observed. As are lots of the other literary dignitaries linked to this place. Theres a very nice gift shop too with a good array of nick nacks and local fare. One thing miss from the North East is the mead. We got hooked on mead on our trip and they have a good selection in the Abbey shop. While you are there St Marys Church is just across the way (see my other review of that). Its a must see. While we were there, the ticket machine at the parking lot was not working, so we went without paying for a ticket. We didnt get towed or anything, I don't know how much they patrol the lot. Other than that the lot is pretty huge, loads of open spots. We were there later in the day midweek after schools were back, and there were only a few people visiting. I cant imagine the Abbey on a busy Saturday, the solitude added to the isolated ambience so I'm glad for that. Overall a must see, wherever you are from or heading to, make a point of getting up here at least once in your life.

Whitby Abbey is probably the most impressive Abbey we've visited yet. Sitting high above charming…read moreWhitby. The location and the Abbey have a long and interesting history. Some facts: Communities have lived on this headland for over 3,000 years and it has long been an important holy place and seat of power. In AD 657 Abbess Hild founded a monastery for men and women at Whitby, on land given by King Oswiu. It was Whitby's first monastic site. The Benedictine monk Reinfrid established a new community on the site in 1078. The Benedictine monastery was suppressed by Henry VIII in 1539 and its ruins are the ones we see on Whitby headland today. And Bram Stoker set part of Dracula here. The ruins are nothing short of breathtaking. The architecture, the countless details. You can spend a whole day here is still find more things to explore. And to imagine how the Abbey must have been when it was still in one piece. It's already an impressive sight now. But back then it must have been incredible. You can walk on the grounds and inside the Abbey freely. Dogs are also allowed on the site. There's lots of room and space for all visitors. Never felt crowded. If you arrive from the carpark on Abbey Lane then you will get some spectacular views of the Abbey from the little pond. The whole site is also wheelchair friendly, it's all pretty flat and easy to get around. EH members enter free of charge. A fantastic visit. And make sure to visit Whitby itself. It's probably packed as usual, but worth a visit.

Great place to walk around enjoy the scenery. The zoo, however, was somewhat disappointing. They…read moreshow a picture of a puffin but there are none. It's more like a petting zoo woot the petting. There is a trolley (fee applies) that can take you around but it was so beautiful out we decided to walk. The cliff area and views are spectacular. We ran out of time and didn't go inside the building.

Wonderful place to visit. Plenty for the children to do and a great stately home and grounds. The…read morechildren's play area has been re-vamped and is great. The small animal zoo is cool and it's a great place to have a picnic. The beaches are a stone throw away. They have many events on throughout the year and it's always a delight.

How cool is it that this 14th century medieval street is still in existence and in such great…read morecondition? Dating back to 1086, it was a meat market area. In fact, a lot of the buildings still have original hanging hooks. The area has evolved quite a bit since its inception. Now a quaint cobblestone street lined with shops and restaurants in buildings boasting original architecture and architectural elements. Tudor structures once part of the meat packing district are quaint and welcoming. As you can imagine, it's bustling, most especially during the height of tourist season.

This was the shopping cobblestone street in York. I just love local artisans selling their wares…read more All the merchants were so friendly and kind. We actually were here on the first day and made sure we would come back the next day too! York was a really cool place to visit. I had wished we had one more day. We did alot of walking around town and just admired the beautiful architecture here. I got so many cute things here at the Shambles