Whitby Live Cam

History

St. Mary’s Church and Whitby Abbey stand as two of the most enduring landmarks in Whitby, North Yorkshire, showcasing a history that stretches back over a millennium. These iconic sites are deeply interwoven with the religious and cultural heritage of Whitby, and their origins trace back to the early Christian period in England. Whitby Abbey was first established in 657 AD by St. Hilda under the rule of the Anglo-Saxon King Oswiu of Northumbria, who sought to create a powerful Christian presence in the region. The abbey became one of the earliest and most significant centers of Christian learning and monastic life in medieval England, embodying a pivotal role in the spread of Christianity in the North.

The original Whitby Abbey, also known as Streoneshalh Abbey, followed the Celtic Christian tradition and attracted influential figures of the time. Notably, the Synod of Whitby took place at the abbey in 664 AD, a landmark event in which King Oswiu declared that the Roman method of calculating Easter would be used in Northumbria. This decision brought the abbey into alignment with the broader Christian Church and facilitated unity between the Roman and Celtic Christian traditions. However, this first abbey was destroyed during Viking raids in the 9th century, and the site lay in ruins until the Normans rebuilt it in the 11th century.