It was in 657 A.D. that St. Hilda built a monastery on Whitby’s East Cliff. A wattle and daub church was built nearby for the men and women who served the needs of the monastery. Both monastery and church were destroyed by raiding Danes.

After the Norman conquest, many new abbeys were built, including one at Whitby. In 1110, a simple stone church was begun for the use of Abbey workers. Much of this church still stands, but it has become enlarged and altered many times as the number of worshippers increased.

The Dissolution of the Monasteries, begun in 1536 by Henry VIII, resulted in the destruction of the Abbey in 1539. St. Mary’s, however, was allowed to remain as it was used by local people. The Church is still the Parish Church and is used for Sunday services and the town’s official functions.

Although Whitby itself is at sea level, built around the old fishing port, St Mary's church sits up on the cliff top, at the top of a long and steep flight of steps known as the  "199 steps" and between the town and the ruined abbey, there has been an abbey on the site since the late 7th century, although it was rebuilt in the 1070s. The craftsmen who carved these pews and pillars probably spent much of their time building ships, and the similarity shows in the interior of St Mary`s. The overall effect is cosy  helped by the still-working stove which sits amongst the pews.

There are many interesting, unusual and unique features to St. Mary’s. These include:

• the Cholmley pew, built in front of the chancel arch so that this well to do family could have the best view of the service;

• a triple decker pulpit with a tester above to ensure that the sermon could be heard;

• box pews, built in the 1600’s and often rented by families, their names being put on the sides;

• an Elizabethan altar table;

• memorial plaques, coats of arms and wall paintings;

• an upper gallery;

• the re-roofing carried out in 1819 was done by shipwrights who made skylights which resemble those set into a deck.