SWORD SPECTACULAR

Sword Spectacular Venues

The World Millennium Sword Spectacular took place in the historic port of Whitby in Yorkshire, England, and in the nearby villages of Goathland and Robin Hood's Bay. This page introduces these venues. Click on any of the photographs beyond this point to see a larger version.

Whitby from the bridge

Whitby

Whitby was an excellent and friendly home to the Festival. A sea port for hundreds of years, the town was once the home of famous explorer Captain James Cook. There are many beautiful old buildings including the ancient Abbey. Whitby is also close to the beautiful countryside of the North York Moors National Park.

Bandstand and Abbey Harbour Old Town Hall

The World Millennium Sword Spectacular Festival was based at the Pavilion Entertainments Complex throughout the weekend. This superb modern centre is situated on the cliffs above the sea, close to the centre of town. Other performances took place in the open air throughout the town and in the surrounding area.

Goathland

Goathland is the home of the Goathland Plough Stots, one of the very few active remaining traditional longsword sides, and the village in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park where the TV series "Heartbeat" is filmed. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a preserved railway using steam trains, stops here. Just outside Goathland is the small village of Beck Hole, with its excellent pub, The Birch Hall Inn.

Goathland North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood's Bay is an old fishing port just south of Whitby, whose isolated location under steep cliffs made it an excellent base for eighteenth-century smugglers evading the then very high taxes on commodities such as tea. Nowadays, the narrow, picturesque streets are home to a number of pubs and cafés.

Robin Hood's Bay

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