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The Parish Church of St. Mary and the ruins of Whitby Abbey atop Whitby's East Cliff
Whitby Abbey was founded in 657 AD by Saint Hilda. The double monastery of monks and nuns was also home home to the great Saxon poet Caedmon.
In 644, the abbey was the site of the Synod of Whitby, at which the Northumbrian Celtic church was reconciled to Rome. In 867, the abbey fell to Viking attack, and was abandoned until 1078, when it was re-founded by
Reinferd. The second monastery lasted until it was destroyed by Henry VIII in 1540. The abbey buildings fell into ruins, and
were mined for stone, but remained a prominent landmark for sailors.
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