Whitby... An Inspiration To Bram Stoker's Dracula

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A friend, in another discussion, inspired me to write a little about Whitby and its connection with Bram Stoker and Dracula, so I hope it might interest a few more of you... Whitby is a seaside town and fishing port, nestling on the edge of the famous North Yorkshire Moors. The town is on the rugged North Sea coastline at the mouth of the River Esk. The river mouth opens into the North Sea providing an excellent harbour which divides the town into two parts, connected by a swing bridge and is famous as the place from which Captain Cook sailed, on locally built ships. A monument to Cook is a prominent feature of the town, coupled with an arch made from a whale's jaw bone. On the west cliff of the town, there is a commemorative seat in memory of Bram Stoker, author of the Dracula novels, from which you can look across the harbour to the Abbey. It was here that Bram Stoker is believed to have drawn most of his inspiration to write his famous vampire stories. The ruins of Whitby Abbey, atop the steep east cliff looms over Whitby. Taking into consideration the Abbey’s tumultuous past, it’s easy to see why Stoker felt it was the perfect location for his famous vampire stories. Death and intrigue seem to have reigned powerful in the history of Whitby for well over a thousand years. The area has long been associated with hard times, and was almost completely destroyed long ago by Viking invaders who pillaged and looted the town and Abbey, murdering many of its residents in a series of raids. From the narrow, cobbled streets below, the Abbey and St. Mary's Church can be reached by climbing the 199 famous and worn steps up to the top of the cliff. This is where most of the Dracula story was set. A Russian ship, Demeter, beached at the cliff face during a violent storm; enter Count Dracula, disguised as a dog. It was in the graveyard at St. Mary's Church and the Abbey that most of the encounters between Dracula and Lucy took place. Whitby has its less spooky places as well. The fish in the fish and chip shops there, is fresh and locally caught, and oh, so tasty. I sat at the harbour side on a bench and ate mine, whilst watching the Viking boat go in and out of the harbour, amongst several other crafts. Seagulls were dipping into the harbour water, for fish and even a sea lion was swimming down the river to the mouth of the harbour and the open sea. The sands are wide and long, and a pleasure to walk along, as is the pier, (the arm of the harbour). On the east side of the town, you can find the town hall and several quaint olde worlde shops and there are reminders of Captain Cook in the museum dedicated to him, and a Dracula Experience museum, at the side of the harbour, and on two weekends in May and October, there is a Gothic Weekend, which is always a sell-out. I hope you enjoyed this, and I hope my friend gets to Whitby one day soon, for this is truly an ancient and charming place.