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England
United kingdom
Headstones
Whitby
North Yorkshire
Graveyard
Yorkshire
Church
UK
Church of St. Mary


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The Church of St. Mary and Graveyard, Whitby, North Yorkshire

The Church of St. Mary and Graveyard, Whitby, North Yorkshire
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The Church of Saint Mary is an Anglican parish church serving the town of Whitby in North Yorkshire England. It was founded around 1110, although its interior dates chiefly from the late 18th century. The church was designated a Grade I listed building on 23 February 1954. It is situated on the town's east cliff, overlooking the mouth of the River Esk overlooking the town, close to the ruins of Whitby Abbey. Church Steps, a flight of 199 steps lead up the hill to the church from the streets below. The church graveyard is used as a setting in Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula.

A Norman church was built on the site around 1110 and added to and altered over the centuries. The tower and transepts are from the 12th and 13th centuries. The tower is square and crenellated, as are the walls.

One of the oldest parts of the church is the quire which has three round-headed windows at its east end. Its side walls originally had three bays with similar windows but have been altered. It has three aumbries, one with a small piscina. The nave has five bays and is contemporary with the quire, its south wall is much altered but three external buttresses remain. When the church was enlarged in 1818 most of the north wall was removed and replaced by columns to accommodate an aisle, four large square-headed windows were inserted on the south side, the south porch was built in 1823 and a north porch built in the new annexe. The ceilings over the nave are boarded with several skylights. The transept was built in the 13th century and has three altered lancet windows in its northern arm while its southern arm is considerably changed and its windows all replaced.

The three-stage west tower has a squat appearance, its corners supported by flat buttresses and its embattled parapet is a 16th-century addition. Of its ring of eight bells, six are inscribed, "Whitby 1762 Lester and Pack of London fecit" and two were added in 1897.

micritter, Bruno Suignard, Taormina, and 15 other people have particularly liked this photo


17 comments - The latest ones
 Marie-claire Gallet
Marie-claire Gallet
Very impressive with all these graves in the foreground, Doug !! BEAUTIFUL image !
Have a great Sunday !!!
6 years ago.
Doug Shepherd club has replied to Marie-claire Gallet
Many thanks for your visit and kind appreciation Marie-Claire.

Enjoy the rest of the day, Doug
6 years ago.
 ©UdoSm
©UdoSm club
Interesting - both the photo and the Info...
6 years ago.
Doug Shepherd club has replied to ©UdoSm club
Thanks very much for the kind words Udo.

Enjoy the rest of your day, Doug
6 years ago.
 Nouchetdu38
Nouchetdu38 club
The graves, this church all in length, this contrasting sky: it's really beautiful!
6 years ago.
Doug Shepherd club has replied to Nouchetdu38 club
Thank you for your visit and kind words Nouchetdu, much appreciated.

Best regards, Doug
6 years ago.
 Ulrich John
Ulrich John club
Wow ! Very impressive, Doug. Great light, shadows and treatment !
6 years ago.
Doug Shepherd club has replied to Ulrich John club
Thank you once again Ulrich for your welcome appreciation.

Best wishes, Doug
6 years ago.
 Rosalyn Hilborne
Rosalyn Hilborne club
The weathered stones look amazing Doug! The sky and windows are very impressive too.
Have a good new week, Rosa.
6 years ago.
Doug Shepherd club has replied to Rosalyn Hilborne club
Many thanks for the visit and kind words Rosa, much appreciated. The stone used is quite soft and the exposed position of the graveyard on top of the cliffs overlooking the North Sea has hastened the weathering of the headstones. Many of them are completely unreadable.

Best wishes, Doug
6 years ago.
Rosalyn Hilborne club has replied to Doug Shepherd club
That is the only problem Doug. I like to read the headstones. It's the same in a similar graveyard on Portland. Still a great shot though :)
6 years ago.
 Boarischa Krautmo
Boarischa Krautmo club
beautiful!
6 years ago.
 Doug Shepherd
Doug Shepherd club
Thank you once again Boarischa, you are very kind.

Best regards, Doug
6 years ago.
 Gudrun
Gudrun club
Very good to see the church from this unusual direction! I found the many pews inside quite interesting.
6 years ago.
Doug Shepherd club has replied to Gudrun club
Thanks for your visit and kind comments Gudrun, much appreciated. I have not been inside for many years, in fact since about 1968!

Best regards, Doug
6 years ago.
 Christa1004
Christa1004 club
Thanks for the explanation, very interesting. I love these old churchyards with the weathered gravestones.
5 years ago.
Doug Shepherd club has replied to Christa1004 club
Thanks very much Christa1004, glad that you like it.

Best regards, Doug
5 years ago.

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