Whitby harbour with the abbey ruin above the cliff

Things to Do · Heritage

Whitby Abbey

Whitby & the Coast

A ruin on a headland doing exactly what a ruin on a headland should.

Why go?

Reached up the 199 steps from the harbour, the abbey stands above the town with the North Sea behind it. Gaunt in bad weather, golden in good, and the reason half of gothic literature borrowed this coastline.

Folkshire says

Climb the steps rather than driving up. The town reveals itself behind you.

What not to miss

The east front arches
The view back over the harbour

Good to know

Exposed and windy; dress for the coast.
199 steps from the harbour side.

Family friendly

Pair it with

Make a day of it

Fish and chips with a pot of tea beside a harbour window

Eat & drink

The Magpie Café

Straight back down the 199 steps and along the harbour.

Fishing boats and red rooftops on the Yorkshire coast

Village & coast

Robin Hood's Bay

The quieter version of the same coastline, six miles south.

Nearby

Village & coast · Whitby & the Coast

Robin Hood's Bay

A smugglers' village poured down a cliff into the sea.

Eat & drink · Whitby & the Coast

The Magpie Café

Whitby's best-known plate of fish and chips, harbour side.

Bakery & tearoom · Whitby & the Coast

Botham's of Whitby

Fifth-generation bakers and a tearoom that has not chased fashion.

Add to my day

Source: Folkshire editorial (demo) · last checked 2026-09-01. Opening times and prices change — confirm with the venue before travelling.