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Hostel to throw open doors after £3m conversion
Transforming a historic landmark on the Whitby cliff-tops into a flagship facility for the Youth Hostel Association is now complete and staff are gearing up for a full opening at Easter.
Converting Abbey House has been a long and tricky road but the 3.3m project is expected to further boost the town's tourist economy.
Construction alone on the half-Victorian half-medieval building has taken 18 months, with the ancient structure throwing up many surprises.
Officials said it had been a "real voyage of discovery" for the builders working on the Grade 1 listed building, which is part of a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Key features uncovered included a hand-carved staircase; a 30ft-long Edwardian stained glass lantern; an original wattle and daub wall; a 12th-century stone column; and rare Victorian sash window mechanisms.
Other finds included 200-year-old wallpaper; musket balls, from when Abbey House was used as a garrison; and a 20ft long medieval carved beam, which had been used, decorative side in, as a makeshift window lintel.
Marketing manager Paul Fearn said: "These treasures will all be displayed on the walls for the tours that will be available to the general public. YHA Whitby is due to open fully for the first time during the school Easter holidays and is a stunning piece of work.
"Restoration of the building has been carried out to an extremely high standard thanks to substantial funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, YHA, and the building's owners, the Strickland Estate."
He said aside from the facilities, the hostel's premier asset was its magnificent location. "Perched at the top of the town's famous 199 steps, just a stone's throw from the iconic Abbey ruins, it has pride of place on the lofty headland," he added.
Abbey House sleeps 105 in 22 rooms, which have between two and eight beds.
There are conference facilities, plus a licensed restaurant and tea rooms open to the public.
Audio and video tours of the property are planned and possibly guided tours for summer visitors.
The grounds, which are also listed, have been landscaped and re-planted with native species of medicinal and culinary herbs that would have been used in the Abbey and it is hoped the lawns will host outdoor events in the summer.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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