Advances in technology help reveal hidden secrets under Whitby Abbey

BURIED PATHWAYS and the study rooms once used by monks are the subject of new discoveries found during a survey at Whitby Abbey, it has been revealed.

A specialist set of scans has seen expert equipment brought in to examine the cloister area, revealing the presence of a whole host of hidden foundations where buildings once stood.

Early assessments have shown the presence of paths and the possible existence of carrels – rooms once used for study and contemplation.

Stuart Tonnar, secretary of the Friends of Whitby Abbey, who have been carrying out the survey, said: “We were invited by English Heritage to do some scans and we have found some rather interesting things.

“Our scans have revealed paths that the monks used at their leisure and carrels where they would have studied.

“Last week we shot a beam of electricity to see what was there and now we are going over it again using a ground-penetration radar to give a better resolution.”

He added: “This whole area was surveyed in the 1990s but our findings are now better because we have got better technology.

“We are pleased that English Heritage asked us to do this survey. It’s exciting to know that more lies beneath the surface. It took six hours but we got some brilliant results.”

The survey has been taking place in the grassed area between the visitor centre and the abbey. The next stage is to interpret the data to give a more accurate picture of the ruins.