IChurch · listed 1954Church of Saint MaryOn the list as Parish Church of St MaryPhoto: Chris06 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Parish Church of St Mary · Photo: Chris06 · CC BY-SA 4.0A+History Grade
History of Whitby · Historic England
458 listed buildings, 8 of them Grade I
Historic England counts them inside Whitby’s built-up area, 363 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 2 scheduled monuments. 25% of its homes were built before 1919. We have photos of 26 of its listed buildings and 8 old views of the town. Whitby grades A+ for history: #1 of 54 in North Yorkshire.
Listed buildings
458
363 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
8
exceptional interest
Grade II*
26
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
2
1 registered park or garden
Homes built before 1919
25%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures
Whitby in 37 photos and old views
Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed, and the town before 1950. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Captain Cooks HouseGrade I listed
Youth HostelGrade I listed
Ruswarp MillGrade II listed
Royal HotelGrade II listed
Hsbc Bank (Including Harbour View Cafe)Grade II listed+32See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.
Through time
Whitby from 1804 to 1903
An old map and 8 old photos and postcards, in date order. All public domain, made before 1950.
c. 1804
c. 1890
c. 1890
1890
1890
1890
1890
1903
1903Public domain, from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server. Each credit opens the image’s page with its full description and history.
The map
Where Whitby’s history is
Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park, over the age of each neighbourhood’s homes.
Grade IGrade II*Scheduled monumentPark or garden400 m from Garden Walls and Gatepiers to the Abbey House
Homes built before 1919, by neighbourhoodunder 10%10–25%25–50%50%+
8 of 8Grade I buildings stand within 400 m of Garden Walls and Gatepiers to the Abbey House, a five-minute walk. So do 181 of the 458 listed buildings.
2 of 8neighbourhoods have mostly pre-1919 homes; in the oldest, 66% were built before 1919.
Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.
458 listed buildings by grade
8 Grade I26 Grade II*424 Grade II
Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.
Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings. Neighbourhood dots: the population-weighted centre of each Census 2021 output area, coloured by its neighbourhood’s (LSOA’s) share of homes built before 1919 (Valuation Office Agency, March 2025).
Grade I
The 8 Grade I listed buildings in Whitby
Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings; 8 of these stand within 400 m of Garden Walls and Gatepiers to the Abbey House. Every one is photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.
IHouse · listed 1954Captain Cook Museum WhitbyOn the list as Captain Cooks HousePhoto: aude · CC BY-SA 3.0
IHouse · listed 1954Abbey StablesOn the list as Youth HostelPhoto: Richard Law · CC BY-SA 2.0
IHouse · listed 1972Donkey RoadPhoto: Pauline Eccles · CC BY-SA 2.0
IWalls & gates · listed 1954Garden Walls and Gatepiers to the Abbey HousePhoto: aude · CC BY-SA 3.0
IChurch · listed 1954The Abbey HousePhoto: Igor_Sivolob · CC BY-SA 4.0
IChurch · listed 1954The Church StairsPhoto: aude · CC BY-SA 3.0
IChurch · listed 1954Whitby Abbey CrossPhoto: Michael Jagger · CC BY-SA 2.0
Grade II*
The 26 Grade II* listed buildings in Whitby
Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 15 are photographed.
II*Public · listed 1954Bagdale Old HallPhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Church · listed 1994Brunswick Methodist Church and the Brunswick RoomPhoto: Gerald England · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Church · listed 1996Church of St HildaPhoto: aude · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Church · listed 1954Church of St NinianPhoto: The joy of all things · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Public · listed 1954Ewe Cote HallPhoto: Cheekychives · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Public · listed 1954Old Town HallPhoto: aude · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Public · listed 1954Ruswarp HallPhoto: Pauline E · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 1954Airy HillOn the list as St ColumbansPhoto: Stephen Richards · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 1954St HildaPhoto: wfmillar · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 1954Haggersgate HouseOn the list as The Missions to SeamanPhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 195415 and 16, St Hilda's TerracePhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 195421, St Hildas TerracePhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
Show the other 14
II*House · listed 197223, St Hildas TerracePhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 195424, St Hildas TerracePhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 195425, St Hildas TerracePhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
Walls & gates · listed 1972Garden Wall and Gate Piers to Ruswarp Hall (Numbers 4 and 6)
Walls & gates · listed 1954Garden House to Ewe Cote HallOn the list as Garden Walls to Ewe Cote Hall
House · listed 1954Low Stakesby HouseOn the list as Low Stakesby Mansion
House · listed 19541-6, St Hildas Terrace
House · listed 195411 and 12, St Hildas Terrace
House · listed 195413 and 14, St Hildas Terrace
House · listed 195418 and 19, St Hildas Terrace
House · listed 195419, Grape Lane
House · listed 195420, St Hildas Terrace
House · listed 195422 St Hildas Terrace
House · listed 19547-10, St Hildas Terrace
Historic streets
Church Street has the most listed buildings
Streets by the listed entries with an address on them. One entry can be a whole terrace, so long rows count once.
Church Street66 listed
Flowergate19 listed
High Street13 listed
St Hildas Terrace11 listed · 11 II*
Cliff Street10 listed
Henrietta Street10 listed
Skinner Street10 listed
Bagdale9 listed
Sandgate9 listed
Borough Place7 listed
Brunswick Street7 listed
Haggersgate7 listed
Of the 458 entries, 244 are named by a street address; the rest are named buildings such as churches, halls and bridges.
What’s protected
Most of Whitby’s listed buildings are homes
Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.
Houses, terraces & villas367
Public & civic buildings30
Inns, shops & warehouses22
Churches, chapels & priories18
Walls, gates & bridges18
Street furniture3
367 entries (80%) are houses, terraces and villas. 18 are churches, chapels and priories, including 4 of the 8 Grade I buildings.
Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.
Grade II
424 Grade II listed buildings
Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.
The first 150 of 424 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
Abbeville CottageArea Railings to Kirbys Hotel and Numbers 5 and 6Art Nouveau Shelter 30 Metres West of Cliff LiftBagdale HotelBell Island CottageBlack Bull HouseBlack Swan InnBoard InnBoghall the Old HallBroomfieldCampion Bank HouseCarr CottageCastle ViewChocolate BoxCholmley SchoolChurch of St Bartholomew, RuswarpChurch of St Hilda (Roman Catholic)Church of St John the EvangelistChurch of St Patrick (Roman Catholic)Clothing FactoryCobbles with Centre Drain to Linskill SquareCustoms HouseDolphin Cottage and Georgian CottageDovecote and Outbuildings to Ewe Cote HallEdwardian Shelter 15 Metres East of Cliff LiftEdwardian Shelter 15 Metres West of Cliff LiftEsk ViewEwe Cote CottageEwe Cote Hall FarmhouseFish PierFish Pier Pumping StationFormer Clarence Temperance HotelFormer Whitby and District Workingmans Social Club and InstituteFormer White Horse InnFortunes Whitby KippersFriends Meeting HouseGarden Wall and Gate Piers to Number 20Garden Wall and Gatepiers to Number 17Garden Wall and Gatepiers to Numbers 15 and 16Garden Wall to Ewe Cote CottageGarden Wall to Number 23Garden Wall to Number 24Garden Wall to Number 25Garden Wall to Numbers 11 and 12Garden Wall to Numbers 13 and 14Garden Wall to Numbers 18 and 19Gatepiers to St ColumbansGazebo About 60 Yards to North of High Stakesby Manor HouseGazebo at High Stakesby Manor HouseGeorge HotelGhaut EndGolden Lion Public HouseHarbour OfficeHarold VillaHavelock's ShedHorn Garth CottageHsbc Bank (Including Harbour View Cafe)Hunters LodgeK6 Telephone KioskK6 Telephone KioskKirbys Hotel and Numbers 5 and 6 East ParadeKiwi Cottage, 1 Woodwark's YardLarpool HallLeesholmeLindisfarneLittle Angel Public HouseLodge FarmhouseManor CottageManor HouseMorland CottageMounting Block Outside the Little Angel Public HouseMulgrove CottageNo 1 Abbey Inn YardNo 1 Elm YardNo 1 Johnson's YardNo 11 Rose and Crown YardNo 14 Blackburn's YardNo 15 Blackburn's YardNo 15 Smugglers YardNo 157 and Former No 158No 16 White Horse YardNo 17 White Horse YardNo 2 Abbey Inn YardNo 2 Elleby LaneNo 2 New Way GhautNo 2A White Horse YardNo 3 Abbey Inn YardNo 3 Benson's YardNo 3 Ellerby LaneNo 3 Forester CourtNo 3 New Way GhautNo 4 Black Horse YardNo 4 Forester CourtNo 4 Leng's YardNo 4 New Way GhautNo 4 Oyston's YardNo 4 Staffordshire PlaceNo 5 Hall's YardNo 5 Leng's YardNo 7 Benson's YardNo 7 Blackburn's YardNo 8 Abbey Inn YardNo 91, The Black Horse Public House and No 92No. 6 Clark's YardNos 1 and 2 Black Horse YardNos 1 and 2 Blackburn's YardNos 1 and 2 Forester CourtNos 1 and 2 Hall's PlaceNos 1 and 2 White CottagesNos 1-4 Hall's YardNos 1-4 Linskill SquareNos 1-5 Arguments YardNos 10-12 Kiln YardNos 13, 14 and 16 Kiln YardNos 2 and 3 Elm YardNos 2 and 3 Oyston's YardNos 2-4 Ripley's YardNos 20-22 Blackburn's YardNos 3 and 4 Blackburn's YardNos 3 and 4 Gardiner's YardNos 3 and 4 Hall's PlaceNos 4 and 5 Ellerby LaneNos 4 and 5 Ivy YardNos 4 and 5 Johnson's YardNos 4-6 White Horse YardNos 5 and 6 Benson's YardNos 5 and 6 Blackburn's YardNos 5 and 6 Forester CourtNos 5 and 6 Smugglers YardNos 6 and 7 Ellerby LaneNos 6-8 New Way GhautNos 8 and 9 Linskill SquareNos 9, 10 and 10A Grape LaneNos 9A and 9B Hall's PlaceNos. 5 Horngarth, And 7, Skinner StreetNumbers 1 and 2 Including Premises Occupied by Turner and SonNumbers 5 and 5A Brunswick Street and Number 6, Morrisons Yard, Brunswick StreetOld Bridge to West of Spital BridgePaddock HousePier HotelPost OfficePremises Occupied by the Betting OfficePremises Occupied by the Star CafePrincess ClubRailings to Numbers 40 to 43Rear Premises of the Marine HotelRear of No 19 Flowergate, Abbey Inn YardRed GatesRose CottageRoyal Hotel
Conservation areas
2 conservation areas cover 19% of Whitby
Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.
Whitby 197378 ha
Ruswarp 19853 ha
81 hain conservation areas, of 421 ha inside the built-up area.
The first, Whitby, was designated in 1973; the newest, Ruswarp, in 1985. 433 of the 458 listed buildings stand in one.
Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.
How the list grew
More than half of Whitby’s listed buildings were added in one year, 1972
The year each building now on the list was first listed.
1972 · 3201954 · 94
19501960197019801990200020102020
The first 94 entries were listed in 1954, 7 of the 8 Grade I buildings among them. 320 came in 1972, in the national resurvey of the 1970s and 80s. Only 2 have been added in the last 15 years.
Monuments & landscapes
Monuments, parks and gardens
Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.
2 scheduled monuments
Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England.
1 registered park or garden
Whitby Abbey HouseGrade II
History Grade
Whitby grades A+ for history
Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.
Protected heritage, for its size and in all (505 points, 401 per 10,000 residents)More than 97% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (25%)More than 73% of UK towns
Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.
Homes by age
25% of Whitby’s homes were built before 1919
Every home by when it was built, from council tax records, against England & Wales (the dark tick).
24%
Before 1900
0.5%
1900–18
2.6%
1919–29
11%
1930s
5.5%
1945–54
8.7%
1955–64
7.5%
1965–72
11%
1973–82
4%
1983–92
2.5%
1993–99
7.3%
2000–08
3.7%
2009–15
11%
2016–25
WhitbyEngland & Wales
24% of homes are Victorian or older, against 16% across England and Wales. The busiest period since was the 1930s, which added 11% of today’s homes.
Valuation Office Agency, council tax stock of properties by build period, 31 March 2025, for the neighbourhoods (LSOAs) that make up the town, split by where their residents live. Homes with no recorded build period (88 here) are left out; 1939–44 is not a period in the data.
Born here
27 notable people born in Whitby before 1900
The 20 best known on one timeline, earliest first.
Bartholomew of Farne
Peregrine Lascelles
William Chapman
Francis Gibson
Dorothy Ripley
Jonathan Scarth
John Beecroft
Constantine Richard Moorsom
George Chambers
Francis Robert Raines
John Lees Faulkner
John Chapman Andrew
James Andrew
Daniel Charles Grose
John Fryer Thomas Keane
Tom Mayes
Arthur Dunn
William Bateson
Storm Jameson
Billy Stage
120013501500165018001950
William Bateson1861–1926 · British geneticist and biologist (1861-1926)
DR
Dorothy Ripley1767–1832 · British missionary
Storm Jameson1891–1986 · British writer (1891-1986)
JB
John Beecroft1790–1854 · British explorer
Arthur Dunn1860–1902 · English footballer (1860–1902)
William Chapman1749–1832 · English engineer
DG
Daniel Charles Grose1838–1900 · American artist (1838-1900)
Peregrine Lascelles1685–1772 · British Army general; (1685-1772)
Everyone born in Whitby → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.
Towns its size
Whitby has the 8th most Grade I buildings of 595 towns its size
Places of 8,000–20,000 people outside London, by Grade I listed buildings.
Whitby8
#7 of 595for listed buildings per resident (363 per 10,000). Brecon, Ludlow and Richmond lead.
Only Armagh, Ely, Wells, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Sherborne, Lewes and Ludlow have more. Whitby is level with Bradford-on-Avon and Blandford Forum. The typical town its size has 0.
Neighbours
Listed buildings in the places around Whitby
In brief
Whitby in brief
For its size, Whitby has more listed heritage than 97% of UK towns. All told, the list holds 458 listed buildings, 8 of them Grade I, including Church of Saint Mary. Of its homes, 25% were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town. Its Grade I buildings cluster together: 8 of them stand within 400 m of Garden Walls and Gatepiers to the Abbey House.
Only 7 of the 595 towns nearest its size have more Grade I buildings. Church Street alone has 66 listed buildings. Its older streets lie in 2 conservation areas, the first designated in 1973. The rest is about typical: it also has 2 scheduled monuments.
Questions about Whitby’s history
How many listed buildings are there in Whitby?
Historic England lists 458 buildings inside Whitby’s built-up area: 8 Grade I, 26 Grade II* and 424 Grade II.
What are the Grade I listed buildings in Whitby?
8, including Captain Cooks House, Donkey Road, Garden Walls and Gatepiers to the Abbey House, Parish Church of St Mary, The Abbey House and The Church Stairs.
Which street in Whitby has the most listed buildings?
Church Street (66), Flowergate (19) and High Street (13) have the most listed entries named by an address. One entry can be a whole terrace.
Are there scheduled monuments in Whitby?
Yes, 2 scheduled monuments, including The Wishing Chair Cross cross base at junction of Stakesby Road and Westbourne Road and Whitby Abbey: Saxon double-house, post-Conquest Benedictine monastery, C17 manor house and C14 cross..
How many conservation areas are there in Whitby?
2, covering about 81 hectares of the town. The largest are Whitby and Ruswarp.
When were Whitby’s buildings listed?
The first in 1954; the most, 320, in 1972.
Are there old photos of Whitby?
Yes: 8 public-domain photos and postcards from 1890 to 1903, and an old map from 1804, all on this page.
Who was born in Whitby?
Among people born before 1900: William Bateson (1861), Dorothy Ripley (1767), Storm Jameson (1891), John Beecroft (1790) and Arthur Dunn (1860).
How old are the homes in Whitby?
25% of homes were built before 1919 and 38% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).
© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.
Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.