Whitby Church

St Mary’s Parish church sits high on the East Cliff over looking the North Sea. St Mary is an ancient church. The original style was Norman and some interesting remains of which may still be seen in the south side of the church. Behind the church stands the majestic ruined Abbey, founded in the early thirteenth century, though there had been a Christian church on the same site as early as 630, which gave way to the first monastery of Streonshalh ( as Whitby was then known) founded by the Abbess St.Hilda in 656. When the Abbey opened its doors to all who sought shelter one of these lay members, a humble cowherd named Caedmon, who, with the aid of a Divine Presence, became the Father of English Sacred Song. Caedmon died in 680, the same year as St.Hilda . On the side of the church tower is a shadow clock. The words over the top of the clock I used as the title to my single collection of short stories: Days Pass Like A Shadows. My love of Whitby runs deep as my father’s side of the family came from the place and I was able to trace the line back to 1600 after spending over thirty years researching the Readman’s roots.