Top 10 Free Things To Do and Attractions in Scarborough

"There’s something special about the ruins of Whitby Abbey brooding over the harbour from the East Cliff. These ruins were mentioned in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1890), and even at that time the monastery had been abandoned for 350 years. It was set up in the middle of the 7th century by Oswy, the King of Northumbria."

"This medieval abbey, which is a ruin now is said to have inspired Bram Stoker for his famous creation ‘Dracula’. The 199 steps that lead to the ruins can be a great trek and the view from the top is spectacular. The Abbey is a memorable sight, especially against the setting sun."

"There are ruined abbeys, and there are picturesque ruined abbeys. And then there's Whitby Abbey, dominating the skyline above the East Cliff like a great Gothic tombstone silhouetted against..."

"Occupying the 91-metre promontory between the north and south bays are the remnants of Scarborough’s Medieval castle. This indomitable roost over the North Sea was a hill fort in the Bronze Age, and in the fourth century was used as a signal station by the Romans. You can now locate the ruins of an Anglo-Saxon chapel, built around 1000 on the site of the signal station."

"Next we made our way up the hill to Scarborough Castle. This medieval keep is in a commanding location, it would have been a spectacle to behold and easy to defend. The castle is mostly ruined now, but it is great to walk around and learn about the 3000 year history of the site."

"The high sloping park around the Whitby Museum will keep you in this picturesque part of town a while longer. Pannett Park was voted “Best Public Park in Yorkshire” in 2014, and has a superb prospect east to Whitby Abbey. There are wooded areas, a lily pond, all manner of formal flowerbeds, a floral clock, rose gardens, pergolas and a playground for children."

"Just a stone's throw from the centre of Whitby, Pannett Park offers a haven of peace and quiet with an exciting new play park for children and beautifully kept gardens, lawns and wooded areas for the whole family to enjoy. Click here to view the Friends of Pannett Park website."

"Peasholm Park located just inland from North Bay is the resort’s beautifully restored historic park which first opened as a pleasure fun park in June 1912. The perfect blend of heritage gardens and fun family attractions, the park has a central island with gardens and surrounding boating lake at its heart. On-site attractions include a Tree Trail, Lily Pond and Oriental style gardens."

"Just behind the North Bay is the fanciful Peasholm Park, designed in an Oriental style in 1912. At that time the park was Scarborough’s venue of choice for extravagant galas and exhibitions, but its glory faded as the century wore on. The park closed in 1999 after its pagoda was damaged by arson, but reopened in the 2000s and is now a treasured part of the resort."

"Stately homes may be two a penny in England, but you'll have to try pretty damn hard to find one as breathtakingly stately as Castle Howard, a work of theatrical grandeur and audacity set in the rolling Howardian Hills. This is one of the world's most beautiful buildings, instantly recognisable from its starring role in the 1980s TV series Brideshead Revisited and in the 2008 film of the same name (both based on Evelyn Waugh's 1945 novel of nostalgia for the English aristocracy)."

"Standing in the Howardian Hills to the west of Malton, Castle Howard is an outstanding example of English baroque, with a distinctive…"

"One of the more beautiful churches in Scarborough, St Martins is filled with gorgeous stained glass windows with designs from celebrated artists including William Morris, Sir Edward Burne-Jones and Dane Gabriel Rosetti."

"Just south of the spa, the South Cliff Italian Gardens were plotted at the turn of the 20th century and sit on a terrace that bends with the contours of the cliff. In the Italian Renaissance style, the gardens have geometric flowerbeds, a lily pond topped with a statue of Mercury and two very ceremonious stairways climbing to shelters beneath pergolas dating to 1914. It’s all part of a long tapestry of open spaces, including a rose garden and a cliff-top path with wonderful vistas back to the castle, all equipped with stairways and the Cliff Lifts down to the beach."

"It has lots of flowers, well arranged in and around sitting areas. A good place to relax while walking around the South bay. Highly recommended to take some monkey nuts and feed the squirrels."

"At the top of those 199 Steps, and before you get to Whitby Abbey, you’ll be confronted by the compact Church of St Mary. The building goes back to a Norman church, consecrated at the start of the 12th century. The tower, choir and parts of the nave all date to that earliest period, and at the transept you can look for the three Gothic lancet windows."

"The 199 steps of Church Stairs lead steeply up from the end of Church St, passing the spooky graveyard of St Mary's Church, a favourite haunt of Goth courting couples. The atmospheric interior of the church is..."

"High on the isthmus between the old town and castle, St Mary’s is a Grade I listed church, first erected in the 12th century. That building was mostly lost in Civil War in the 17th century, and was rebuilt at the end of the 1600s. Out in the sprawling graveyard you can find the ruins of the old west towers, which give a sense of how much larger the Medieval church used to be."

"The Milton Rooms is an arts centre and hub for cultural and community lead activities located in Malton, North Yorkshire, a market town in England. Photo: Roger Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0."

"The wonderful Whitby Galleries is unusual in that it has been split into two distinct shops; one selling original artwork and the other quality prints. Many of the pieces that you will find in both are supplied by local artists, some exclusively, and many of the Whitby and surrounding areas. Artists include Catherine J Stephenson, Jeff Streets, Anne Fryers, and Jonathan Shaw."

"Visit one of Yorkshire’s leading art galleries, Whitby Galleries at 134 and 135 Church Street, located in the historic town of Whitby, North Yorkshire."

"The second of Bridlington’s Grade I-listed buildings along with the Priory Church, the Bayle Gate is what’s left of the priory’s fortifications. Since the priory was dissolved the Bayle has been a gaol, garrison, court and town hall. Composed of a mix of brick and limestone, most of the Bayle is from the second half of the 12th century, with two pointed Gothic arches under traceried windows."

"Bridlington Bayle Museum is a historical museum located in the old town. This museum is dedicated to the history of the town, its inhabitants and the surrounding areas. It houses a collection of social history items such as photographs, documents, paintings and prints."

"Occupying the 91-metre promontory between the north and south bays are the remnants of Scarborough’s Medieval castle. This indomitable roost over the North Sea was a hill fort in the Bronze Age, and in the fourth century was used as a signal station by the Romans. You can now locate the ruins of an Anglo-Saxon chapel, built around 1000 on the site of the signal station."

"Next we made our way up the hill to Scarborough Castle. This medieval keep is in a commanding location, it would have been a spectacle to behold and easy to defend. The castle is mostly ruined now, but it is great to walk around and learn about the 3000 year history of the site."

"In 2018, a full-size replica of Captain Cook’s HM Bark Endeavour became a permanent fixture in Whitby harbour and opened to the public as a visitor attraction. On board, 11 cabins have been transformed into a..."