199 Steps

Description taken from www.thewhitbyguide.co.uk

One of the most famous landmarks in Whitby are the 199 Steps that lead up to St Mary’s Churchyard, also know as the ‘Church Steps’. The reasons for walking up the steps have differed over the years, but now they are used to capture one of the most beautiful views of Whitby you can achieve.

The first record of the steps was in 1340, though it is believed the steps were made a long time before this, as some historians believe that St Hilda would use the steps to test the faith of her followers (climbing up the steps would prove your faith, a simple task these days).

Believe it or not, the steps were actually originally made of wood and stood for hundreds of years that way until 1774 when the steps were replaced with Sneaton Stone. There has been many years of dispute as to how many steps there are, some believe there are 198, and others believe 200 (depending on how you count the steps). In 1761 John Wesley counted 191, and in 1800 guide books of Whitby 194 were counted.