Record visits to Yorkshire's English Heritage sites

Whitby Abbey enjoyed its busiest year for visitors in 2022

Historic sites across England welcomed a record number of visitors in 2022, the charity English Heritage has said.

Yorkshire attractions such as Clifford's Tower in York and Whitby Abbey have been named among those that saw a surge in popularity.

The charity said visitor numbers had soared with 10 of their 400 historic sites experiencing their best year on record.

English Heritage chief executive Kate Mavor said Yorkshire had "fantastic sites" and "clearly people want to holiday in the region and locals enjoy it too."

Despite the number of international visitors remaining at 70% of pre-pandemic levels, domestic tourism returned "in full strength" last year, the charity said.

Visitor numbers jumped by almost a third at Clifford's Tower last year

Clifford's Tower, which was once a medieval stronghold and Civil War garrison, saw 31% more visitors in 2022 than the previous year.

It has also recently undergone a major conservation project, which Ms Mavor said had "transformed the visitor experience".

Whitby Abbey, with its vast gothic arches, attracted 25% more visitors this year, making 2022 its best year to date.

Ms Mavor said smaller sites "off the beaten track [like] Pickering Castle and Richmond Castle have also done really well."

The 13th Century Pickering Castle in North Yorkshire, had its best year since 1997, and was up 18% on 2021.

Also in North Yorkshire, the 11th Century fortress of Richmond Castle had its best year since 1997, experiencing a 16% rise in visitors over 2021.

Aldborough Roman Site, which includes a museum filled with Roman finds, had its best year since 1999, with 30% more visitors than 2021.

Mount Grace Priory in North Yorkshire, which housed hermitic monks in the Middle Ages, also had its best ever year, with visitor numbers increasing by 47% in 2022.