Robin Hood's Bay
Robin Hood's Bay is a picturesque old fishing village with delightful streets and old fisher-folk running cafes. The village is rife with tall tales of old smugglers.
YHA Whitby
Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO22 4JTOverview
YHA Whitby is a magnificent Grade 1 listed mansion situated immediately beside the iconic ruins of Whitby Abbey. Enjoy views over the harbour and the North York Moors, with the town just a short walk away via the famous 199 steps. The hostel provides the ideal accommodation for exploring Whitby and its year round attractions.
YHA Whitby offers an unforgettable experience with many original artefacts throughout the hostel. Look out for the interpretation boards with information about features including a 13th Century carved oak Viking beam and stunning Victorian stained glass.
Why guests love YHA Whitby
Accommodation at YHA Whitby
The hostel
The hostel offers superb accommodation for families and groups and is the ideal base for exploring Whitby and its year round attractions. Whitby at a glance:
- Excellent accommodation in a heritage setting
- 23 rooms with en-suites, many with original features
- Fully licensed restaurant with Abbey House Tearooms and gardens
- Disabled access with allocated parking and lift to specially adapted bedroom
- Beautiful 'Georgian Lounge', games room, classroom, conservatory and lounge
- Award winning Yorkshire in Bloom 'Physic Garden' for residents
Food and drink at YHA Whitby
Things to do around YHA Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a lovely, seaside town dominated by the abbey ruins high on the hill. 199 steps lead to the churchyard that inspired Bram Stoker to write 'Dracula'.
Walks with a story in Yorkshire
Explore more of the area with Discovering Britain’s walks, trails and views. From stunning viewpoints to family-friendly strolls, from day long hikes in the countryside to urban trails – there's pl
Scarborough Sealife & Marine Sanctuary
Discover our underwater world and meet the land creatures including Otters, Seals and Humboldt Penguins. Visit the website
Dracula Experience
A unique tour through the Dracula story and the connection to Whitby. Using animation, special effects and live actors. Visit the website
Whitby Abbey
See the splendour of our next door attraction! Discover its history, hear voices from the past on the audio guide and catch unique events Visit the website
Walking and Rambling in Whitby
The Cleveland Way runs past the Youth Hostel following the dramatic coastline south from Whitby.
Mountain biking in Whitby
Get out and about on your bike and enjoy the landscape. Try Dalby Forest, 20 miles from Whitby, where you can explore an exhilirating 40 miles of mountain bike trails.
Cycling in Whitby
The Cinder Track between Whitby and Scarborough is part of Route 1 of the National Cycle network, offering 21 miles of off-road cycling with the opportunity to take slight detours and visit the quiet
Watersports in Whitby
Whitby Surf School located on West Cliff Beach is an ideal place to surf and SUP as the shallow gradient sandy beach offers plenty of space and waves.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
0.5 miles Step back in time with magnificent steam engines and beautiful rural stations. The railway is lovingly preserved and charmingly authentic. Visit the website
Moorsbus (around Helmsley & other hostels)
A fantastic community run bus service connecting surrounding towns within the North York Moors allowing you to leave your car at home. The services run on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Ho
Captain Cook Memorial Museum
The museum is in a 17th century house on Whitby's harbour where Captain Cook trained as a seaman, leading to his epic voyages of discovery. Visit the Museum website
Stargazing in Yorkshire
Stargazing – a simple yet intriguing and inspiring evening activity.
Facilities
General
- Ambulant accessible
- Classroom
- Cot available
- Cycle store
- Free wi-fi
- Garden / grounds
Essentials
- Lounge
Entertainment
- Board games
- Games room
- Library/Quiet room
- TV
Accommodation options
- Private rooms available
- En suite rooms available
Food & drink
- Cafe
- Dining room
- Group catering available
- Meals available
- Self-catering kitchen
Other YHA products
- Meeting Rooms & Corporate Hire
- Trade bookings
- YHA School Trips
Need to know
Reception times: Once checked in, we offer 24 hours access. Reception closes at 23.00.
Check in: 15.00 - 23.00
Check out: Before 10.00
Towels and toiletries: Towels and toiletries are not provided but are available to hire or purchase from reception. Bedding is supplied.
Parking: The property has a free car park on-site for guests and patrons. Please note that this car park is controlled by an ANPR parking system. Upon arrival, motorists are required to validate their presence by entering their car's registration number at reception. Parking is available for Blue Badge holders in designated bays, other guest parking is limited. Space in our car park can be limited, an alternative is the council car-park just a 2-minute walk away from us. This car park is FREE from 6pm until 9am.
Open every day?: Yes, YHA Whitby is open every day for bookings. Abbey House Café & Bar is open 7.30am – 9pm, 7 days a week.
Wi-Fi: Free wi-fi is available in social spaces.
Breakfast: Breakfast is served from 7.30am until 9am.
YHA Whitby - Access Statement
(PDF download - 61.84 KB)
YHA School Trips
YHA Whitby is committed to continually creating new opportunities for children by supporting and complementing the national curriculum to develop imagination and intellect. There are educational packages available but the area is also great to explore for yourself on a self-led trip.
Visit the YHA School Trips website for more information.
Volunteering
We are very grateful for all of the help and support that our generous volunteers give to YHA. We are proud of our “Investors in Volunteering” accreditation and have a wide range of opportunities available across the country, all of which will provide great learning or social experiences and help us to create even more opportunities for young people.
Volunteering is a great way to meet people, visit new places, gain experiences and have fun. Full details of all of our various volunteering programmes can be found on theVolunteering website.
At YHA Whitby we offer the following volunteering opportunities subject to availability:
Please contact [email protected] or call 01629 592562 for more information.
History
Our hostel is housed in a magnificent Grade 1 listed mansion situated immediately beside the iconic ruins of Whitby Abbey.
The Whitby headland had seen Bronze Age and Roman settlements, before an Anglian monastery was founded there by Hild, the daughter of an Anglian nobleman, in about 627. Then things get a bit mysterious; no one is sure why, but the Anglian settlement and monastery were abandoned a few centuries later.
By the end of the 12th century a new monastery had been founded and built in stone. This building underwent various projects of rebuilding and expansion, during which the Abbey House was built. We aren’t sure what the Abbey House was used for, but it is likely that it was the abbot’s lodging.
In the 16th century the Monastery was suppressed and the abbey site was bought by the Chomley family. The Chomleys, and later the Strickland family, used the abbot’s lodgings as a house and over the next two centuries several extensions and a courtyard were added to the building.
In 1920 the Strickland family gave the abbey to the Ministry of Works. Then for around 80 years archaeological excavations were carried out on the site. By the early 2000s the Abbey House had fallen into a dilapidated state, but when its lease came up for tender in 2006 YHA jumped at the opportunity! A £3.5 million renovation was carried out making the building into the fantastic hostel enjoyed by many today.
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