The Baalands: The town that inspired Dracula

July 11, 2019 -- We visited Whitby on the last day of our animal photography tour in 2019. Whitby is a seaside town on the Yorkshire Coast, overlooking the North Sea. One of the reasons it is a popular tourist destination is because of its association with Dracula.

Dracula is a horror novel written in 1897 by Bram Stoker. It is believed that the name of the villain and some of the novel's most dramatic scenes were inspired by Stoker's holiday in Whitby. Whitby is the first port of call for the vampire Count Dracula when he arrives in England and begins his reign of terror. My nephew and I want to visit Romania to see Dracula's castle.

The abbey ruin at the top of the cliff is the oldest and most prominent landmark in Whitby. It was a 7th century Christian monastery that later became a Benedictine abbey. Before the abbey stands the ancient parish church of St. Mary's, which is reached by a climb of 199 steps. There are many stories pertaining to the 199 steps. They were first mentioned in a 1370 document. They were renovated in 1988. There are spectacular views of the North Sea and town of Whitby once you get to to the top.

199 Steps

The Abbey and graveyard

There are many tombstones in the graveyard of St. Mary's Church. Many have had their facades washed away and were illegible. On some, you could still make out the markings. It's always a little bit creepy walking through graveyards, especially when Dracula may be lurking nearby.

Whitby is also the port from which Captain Cook first set sail. He learned his craft from Whitby vessels. Tourism supported by fishing is the mainstay of Whitby's economy. The commercial catch is no longer herring. It has been replaced with cod, haddock, and other fish that can be caught within 12 miles of the coast. There were lots of place to get fish and chips. Of course, that's what we all had. It was my trip to the Yorkshire Dales in 2019 (and later to Belgium) that starting me liking mayonnaise on my french fries instead of catsup. Whitby was once the "capitol" of whaling. Nowadays, tourists can take whale watching tours.