Whitby Abbey

• Walk the ruins: make a circuit of the standing walls and the east end, where the carved stonework rewards a slow look up close as well as from a distance.
• Visitor centre and museum: objects and finds from the Anglo-Saxon, medieval and Cholmley periods, with listening posts, peep-holes, animations, computer-generated reconstructions and hands-on interactives.
• The stories: Hild the founding abbess, Caedmon the early English poet linked to the monastery, the legend of the bells, and the shipwreck that fed Bram Stoker's 1897 novel and gave the abbey its lasting Dracula association.
• Views: panoramic looks over the town, the harbour mouth and the open coast from the grounds.
• An audio guide in English and Mandarin is included with admission.

• Gift shop with souvenirs including Whitby Jet pieces, wine and books.
• A cafe next door, which is not run by the abbey's custodians.
• Toilets in the council car park, also outside the site's own operation.
• Open mown grass with seating, good for a picnic with a view.
• Dogs are welcome on leads in the grounds.

There is a step-free route from parking to the main site, with some smooth pathways and hard-standing ramps leading into the ruins, plus benches with back support and armrests. Beyond that, most of the grounds are grass on sloping ground, with stone surfaces that get slippery when wet, so wheelchair access is best described as limited rather than easy. There is an open pond and signed drops to keep children and dogs away from. This is a ticketed attraction, so budget for admission, and expect queues and busy walls at peak times in summer.