{"id":166300,"date":"2020-10-30T15:59:47","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T15:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/?p=166300"},"modified":"2021-05-25T13:02:55","modified_gmt":"2021-05-25T12:02:55","slug":"whitby-the-five-minute-spare-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/whitby-the-five-minute-spare-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Whitby – The Five Minute Spare Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Dracula Country!<\/h1>\n
\"Whitby

Image: Radek Sturgolewski\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Bit of a dramatic headline for a seaside town like Whitby? Well if you have read Bram Stoker’s classic you will understand! Why – well Whitby Abbey is a key location in it. But hey not everyone reads 19th Century novels, so here is our quick guide to this lovely North Yorkshire coastal town which is the ideal location for a bit of a staycation, especially if you like a bit of gothic horror.<\/p>\n

Ok if your ready let’s begin with a bit of history\u2026<\/p>\n

Early Whitby Days<\/h3>\n

The origins of Whitby go all the way back to pre-history, but the name itself can be traced to the Brigantes. These were one of the ancient tribes that dominated the British Isles in the days before the Romans, the Normans, or anyone else came along.<\/p>\n

The Brigantes named the town Sinus Fari, which reportedly changed to Streanaeshaic in medieval times. By the time the Romans had retreated, Whitby Abbey had been established here. It is said to date from 657ad when King Oswy ordered a monastery built to celebrate his victory over the Pagan king of Mercia, which made him ruler of Northumbria\u2026 back in the days before England united into one country. He was buried here around 13 years later so at least got some use out of it.<\/p>\n

This monastery was one of the few that could be attended by men and women alike. It was the site of a Saint, in its first Abbess, but was destroyed by the Vikings when they started raiding along the coast around the turn of the 9th<\/sup> century when successive raids over three years made it a lost cause. It is one of the sites frequently attacked by the famous Ubba and Ingwar duo. The town and monastery remained in ruins until William the Conqueror showed up in the 11th<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n

Whitby In The Doomsday Book<\/h3>\n

In the Domesday survey<\/a> carried out in 1086 when the aforementioned conquering king wanted to survey his new winnings, Whitby was Small even by North Yorkshire standards of the time and overall in the smallest 30% of settlements. It comprised 4 households and was owned by Earl Hugh of Chester. It contained a mill, woodland, and meadows, as well as ploughlands. Legend has it that William the conqueror gifted it to William de Percy as a thank you for all his hard work invading, but that a few years later the second Willy donated it to some monks. They set up a Benedictine monastery, which attracted more people to the town and ended up with someone building a port for it, too. The town grew steadily until the 12th<\/sup> century when it was given a charter to hold a fair once a year.<\/p>\n

 
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