LIFTS, STAIRS & BALUSTRADES
Photos: Ben Harrison Photography
MODERN LIFT FOR HISTORIC WHITBY ABBEY
HISTORIC WHITBY ABBEY FACILITIES BENEFIT FROM LIFT MODERNISATION
One of England’ s most famous historic monasteries, Grade I Whitby Abbey, has invested in a lift modernisation by Stannah Lifts to offer reliable stepfree access to visitors.
Originally founded in AD 657 and occupied by the Anglian community, Whitby Abbey was later rebuilt as a Benedictine monastery. Today, the 7th-century ruins remain a popular heritage landmark in North Yorkshire, now housing an award-winning visitor centre repurposed from a 17th-century banqueting hall.
Whitby Abbey House Visitor Centre, developed in the early 2000s beside the abbey ruins, includes a souvenir shop, museum and café. The passenger lift is located on the ground floor, providing access to the museum and exhibition area on the first floor.
Due to the age of the existing lift, modernisation work was needed to maintain smooth and reliable operations for visitors who require step-free access.
Whitby Abbey is managed and maintained by English Heritage, who issued a tender for the lift works. Following a rigorous tendering process, Stannah Lifts, acting as the lift supplier, worked with Cundall consultants to determine the best approach for this modernisation project.
The challenge
Whitby Abbey attracts over 150,000 visitors each year, so keeping the visitor centre open was important to fulfil the customer experience. The shop’ s closure was kept to a minimum to ensure the safe transportation of equipment and initial start of works. This also allowed the on-site team to establish a safety perimeter, prioritising visitor safety. Following this, the shop remained open for the duration of the project.
As this was the only functioning lift in the building, it was important to complete the modernisation as quickly as possible to avoid long disruptions to shop operations and visitors.
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