A high headland; a venerable church overlooking a picturesque town; an 11th century Benedictine Abbey which stands lofty and indomitable even as a ruin; and, most of all, St. Mary’s expansive graveyard, its crooked gravestones telling of multiple tragedies at sea and on land.
This is Whitby, the home town of Dracula and a town full of histories and stories.
Whitby is a seaside town in North Yorkshire. It is situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage Whitby is very accessible, it can be reached easily by car, bus, train and ever plane for those abroad travellers. Check out how to get to Whitby from the visit Whitby website: https://www.visitwhitby.com/blog/getting-to-whitby/.
Whitby is famous for many things, a traditional seaside resort with Blue Flag beaches, the Jet Industry, Captain cook who was born nearby and whaling. However the most famous out of all is the creation of Dracula.
The History behind Dracula
In the 1890’s, an author named Bram Stoker took regular holidays in the fishing town of Whitby. It was here where he heard horrific tales of a schooner which had been driven aground on Tate Hill Beach after a dreadful storm. From his lodgings on West Cliff the author would have had a prime view down to the site of the ghastly wreck and across to the cobbled streets of the older East side, and the imposing ruins of Whitby Abbey and St. Mary’s church that sits at the top of the winding 199 steps which rise up the cliffs from the streets below. It was here that Bram Stoker started writing his famous novel about a certain Count Dracula.
In Stoker’s novel, after the shipwreck, Dracula runs up the famous 199 steps to the graveyard in St Mary’s church in the shape of a black dog. An examination of the ship’s log shows that the crew members had been gradually disappearing since it set sail from Russia. But it is the ship’s cargo which gives readers a clue about how Dracula managed to travel so far without being noticed – it is full of coffins.
As the legend of Dracula has grown more and more people have flocked to Whitby to learn about the character and his creator. “The Dracula Experience”, is a unique tour that create the connection to Whitby through the Dracula story. Using animated scenes, electronic special effects and live actors.
If you are looking forward to hearing more culture and history of Whitby, Dr Crank’s ghost walk can bring you all the insight into chilling tales while strolling among the town’s ancient yards and alleys.
Here is a quick preview of what you can experience on Dr Crank’s Ghost Walk.
To celebrate this Gothic Legend, the town holds a Goth Festival twice yearly. The event is inspired by the dark world of Dracula and is a very popular weekend event. Goths, punks and steampunks, can be seen wandering around the town in weird and wonderful costumes making for a wonderful and friendly atmosphere to be enjoyed by all.
The next event is 24 April – 26 April 2020, where the Whitby town welcome Goths from around the world to explore more of Whitby.
The Hidden Treasure of North-east 