The Abbey House
THE ABBEY HOUSE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1055872
- Date first listed:
- 23-Feb-1954
- List Entry Name:
- The Abbey House
- Statutory Address:
- THE ABBEY HOUSE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-03-04
- Reference:
- IOE01/03569/02
- Rights:
- © Mr John Turner. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1055872
- Date first listed:
- 23-Feb-1954
- List Entry Name:
- The Abbey House
- Statutory Address 1:
- THE ABBEY HOUSE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- THE ABBEY HOUSE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- North Yorkshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Whitby
- National Grid Reference:
- NZ 90238 11118
Details
NZ 9011 2/10
The Abbey House
23.2.54.
I
Medieval in origin and thought to incorporate part of the Abbot's House.
The plan is however a complicated one and the building contains work chiefly of the Cl6 but also of all subsequent periods. Main part is 3 storeys and attics. Patched ashlar with various windows - old sashes with architraves and cornices, mullioned and transomed stone windows, ordinary sashes, and 3-light stone mullioned windows, all irregularly placed. Stone cornice, parapet, pantiles and dormers. Right hand wing projects at right angles. This is 3 storeys, ashlar bands. Sashes in late Cl7 stone architraves with triple keyblocks, the end 4 windows having architraves, pulvinated friezes and pediments. 2 windows to ground floor: First floor: 4 windows with scrolled broken pediments. Ruined part to North was built by Sir Hugh Cholmley in the reign of Charles II. This part was ruined in a great wind circa 1775 and was never rebuilt. Monumental 2 storey front elevation of 11 windows with stone architraves, firezes and cornices, one with central Renaissance projecting feature in 2 stages crowned by broken segmental pediment with foliage swags. Panelled door in eaved surround flanked by Ionic columns, with similar columns to sides of feature. Frieze and cornice. Similarly arranged Corinthian column to first floor enclosing window with architrave.
Interior of house itself has 4 C16 panelled rooms, 2 Cl6 staircases with balustades and newels, 2 immense kitchen fire arches of 4 centres, a pair of old stone fireplaces in a further room with Caernarvon heads, 2 Cl7 bolection moulded fireplaces, a wall containing a Cl2 round column with simple moulded capital, probably reused, and other features. There are a few items of old portable furniture belonging to the house.
The property was bought by the Cholmley family in 1555 after being held on lease by them since the Reformation, and was built out of stone and materials from the adjoining Abbey. It is said that in 1570 the house was of wood and that it was rebuilt in 1626 in stone, but the evidence on this point is not conclusive. NMR.
Abbey House and Youth Hostel form a group.
Listing NGR: NZ9024511120
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 326511
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 23-Jun-2026 at 12:07:26.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.