Day 5: A Windy Day in Whitby

16 January 2018

Today began with a visit to Octagonal Methodist Church in the small town of Yarm. This church is the oldest octagonal church in the world and it was known to be one of John Wesley’s favorite places to preach. The man who spoke to us told us about the process that it took to construct the church and how they were able to make a one-story building into a two-story building. He also told us about John Wesley’s thoughts as he visited the church multiple times throughout his life. They even had a plaque saying it was John Wesley’s favorite chapel! After the short lecture, we sang “Love Psalm” and our College’s Alma Mater, which the staff of the church loved.





We then headed to Whitby for some lunch; I tried some fish and chips and it was amazing! After that, we went to Whitby Abbey, which was in ruins, and St. Mary’s Church. Whitby Abbey was actually destroyed in the late 860s and was the site of the Synod of Whitby. It was really cool to see the building all fallen apart. St. Mary’s Church was right next to the abbey, and it featured a large cemetery and a crowded inside. It overlooks a large and beautiful river. While we were only at these sites for 30 minutes, we saw a lot even though the wind made it really cold! 








The city of York was our next stop, where we would be staying for two days. We got to briefly see the castle walls of York as we headed to dinner on foot; the castle walls that guarded the city made it impossible for the bus to drive us around. We got dinner at a local pub named Ye Old Starre Inn, and we had a delicious dinner and we enjoyed each other’s company. 

Exploring York continues tomorrow! 

- Jacob Stech 

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