What connects Dracula and Whitby
Dracula, Bram Stoker and Whitby.
Whitby was the inspiration for Bram Stokers Dracula novel. Whitby is proud of its Dracula connection and of Bram Stoker's stay. We know the Gothic horror novel Dracula Bram conceived at Whitby. Its craggy clifftop complete with graveyard at the edge and the ruined abbey just ooze Gothic Romance from every stone. Whitby boasts its own Goth Festival and people come from miles around to celebrate Dracula's famous author Bram Stoker. Whitby is dominated by the cliff-top ruins of 13th century Whitby Abbey, which is quite a sight to behold and figures also in Bram Stoker's Dracula. What is your Whitby Dracula experience?
Dracula, Bram Stoker and Whitby .....
"The houses of the old town...are all red-roofed, and seemed piled up one over the other..." So wrote Bram Stoker in his famous novel Dracula.
Dracula, Bram Stoker, Whitby and Sir Henry Irving
How the novel Dracula was born at Whitby.
Bram Stoker was the third of seven children born in Fairview, Ireland in 1847. Although illness kept him bedridden until he was seven, he recovered enough academically to go to Trinity College in Dublin. He graduated with Honours in mathematics in 1870 and competed in athletics, so his recovery was good.
He took up a career in writing, where he was a moderately successful "jobbing" writer of non-fiction books and theatrical reviews. He met the great actor Henry Irving after giving him a favourable review as Hamlet. The two dined together and became good friends.
As a result he became theatre manager for Irving's Lyceum Theatre in London and held this job for 27 years. He also knew Oscar Wilde and met and married Florence Balcombe, Wilde's former girlfriend, in 1878 before moving to London. The couple had one child in 1879. Stoker met many influential people in London, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, William Yeats and Oscar Wilde.
Stoker's work with Henry Irving enabled him to travel the world, including Eastern Europe, and he would have absorbed the tales and atmosphere en route. Whitby however was the inspiration for Dracula. Its dangerous coastline the perfect setting for the shipwreck that brings Dracula ashore as a great Black Dog. Staying at the Royal Hotel would give him a view of the whole of the dramatic harbour, the East Cliff, the Abbey, the winding cobbled streets and the brooding silhouette of the church, St Mary's, with its graveyard at the cliff edge. The 199 steps up to Caedmon's Trod make a bracing walk and give a haunting view when the mist is in the harbour.
Bram Stoker suffered a number of strokes which may have led to his death in 1912. His ashes were held in the Golders Green Crematorium in London. His wife survived him by 25 years and despite bringing legal action against the maker of the film noir, Nosferatu, the Stoker family did not experience the huge success that Dracula later became.
Bram Stoker's Dracula was set in Whitby
And An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia
Bram Stoker's famous Dracula was partly set in Whitby. Bram Stoker spent some time in Whitby in the summer of 1890 and discovered the name "Dracula." at the public library. He borrowed a book entitled An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia (1820) by William Wilkinson. (The notes he made are housed at the Rosenbach Museum in Philadelphia.)
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Dracula, Whitby's Most Infamous Visitor
Dracula washes ashore in Whitby
The infamous Count arrived on a ship washed ashore in the harbour and Lucy watched from the churchyard as the sun set over Kettleness but could not remember how many steps she climbed. Stoker's story incorporated various pieces of Whitby folklore. Following the Baron on the Dracula Walk fills in the pieces of how Bram Stoker wrote his classic novel.
Dracula, Stoker and Whitby - Learn more about Dracula and Whitby
Dramatic and Atmospheric Images of Whitby Harbour - A peaceful sailing into harbour....
Whitby Sunset Greeting Cards
Greeting cards featuring Whitby harbour at sunset, blank for your own message or greeting.
Whitby Sunset Post Cards
Ideal for Whitby businesses, discounted for bulk purchases and also available from Zazzle UK!
Crossing the Bar Poetry Card
Combines Tennyson's Poem Crossing the Bar with an atmospheric photo of Whitby Harbour taken from the sea.
Sunset through rigging
Photo cards
You can customize this atmospheric photo of Whitby Harbour at Sunset taken through the rigging of a sailing ship.
A Word From The Baron
A word from The Baron....
"Whitby figures quite centrally in a significant section of the novel Dracula (Chapters 6-8). It is where the Russian ship "Demeter" comes ashore and is the location of the first encounters between Dracula and Lucy. Today, there are many points of interest for the Dracula enthusiast in Whitby."
The Baron - Harry Collett
Bram Stoker's Dracula and the Blue Plaque - Or Dracula (Stoker) slept here?
There are two hotels in Whitby where Bram Stoker is said to have lived while he was writing Dracula. The blue plaque illustrated in many sites is actually wrongly placed as he only stayed in that hotel (a small private house) for a couple of weeks.
The Baron runs the Dracula Walks from the Royal Hotel however. It is believed that he was actaully based there for four years. The hotel carries lots of Stoker history and some memorabilia. Oddly enough, it is very popular with the elderly which my friend and I remarked on when we stayed in Whitby....
- Bram Stoker (1847-1912) - Whitby Online
Bram Stoker (1847-1912) - Whitby Online Home / Whitby History / Bram Stoker (1847-1912)Whitby Whitby Directory Whitby Accommodation - Bram Stoker
Author of the vampire story of Dracula was Bram Stoker - Whitby Hotels ~ Save up to 30% on Cheap Guest Houses and Hotels in Whitby
Book Whitby hotels at Room4U and save 30% or more on late deals. Online Whitby Accommodation searches SAVING YOU TIME, SAVING YOU MONEY!! - Bram Stoker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abraham Stoker November 8, 1847(1847-11-08) Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland Died April 20, 1912(1912-04-20) (aged 64)
Find your way to Whitby - And Don't Get Lost After Dark
This map will help you find your way to and around Whitby. Make your Dracula experience more fun with a Whitby map!
Whitby's Goth Festival
Home to Vampires and Goths each year....
Whitby hosts a biennial Gothic Weekend, which is a festival for members of the Goth subculture. Guest arrive at hotels with floodlit hearses and coffins! Apparently the Cheeky Girls regularly attend to keep in touch with their Transylvanian roots. I personally don't know how many of the names in Dracula are on Whitby gravestones, my guess is quite a few. It might be fun to go looking next at the names on the stones near the cliff edge!
We sat and ate fish and chips on the Bram Stoker Memorial seat. It was the view from this spot that inspired Stoker's Whitby scenes. You can see the harbour, the ruined Abbey, the Church, and the stone steps and just to the left is the cliff where the "Demeter" came ashore, a dead seaman lashed to its wheel.
The inscription on the bench reads:
"The view from this spot inspired Bram Stoker (1847-1912) to use Whitby as the setting of part of his world-famous novel DRACULA. This seat was erected by Scarborough Borough Council and the Dracula Society to mark the 68th Anniversary of Stoker's death - April 20th 1980".
Gothic Gear To Impress Stoker, Dracula and Assorted Minions...
Look for your Goth Gear here for the Festival season....
Gothic Gear on Amazon - Buy Goth Fashion Here
- Whitby & North York Moors National Park People & Places | Visit Whitby
Whitby and North York Moors National Park, Bram Stoker, Lewis Carroll, Captain Cook - Places to stay in Whitby, North Yorkshire England UK. Whitby hotels. Guesthouse, b&b and hotel l
Whitby hotels, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts lodging and accommodation. Hotels and b&b accommodation in Whitby. - Hotels Whitby, guest house, accommodation Whitby, North Yorkshire
Find hotels in Whitby. Booking for hotels in Whitby online or by phone. Discount guest house accommodation in Whitby, North Yorkshire - Whitby Holiday Cottage for Rent - Location
37, Cliff Street is a family owned self-catering holiday cottage situated in the North Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby. - whitby Cottages. whitby Holiday Cottages.
whitby in North Yorkshire has a great selection of quality self-catering cottages. Please browse our selection of whitby Cottages. - Whitby Vacations, Tourism & Travel Information - Whitby England - UpTake.com
Whitby Vacations, Whitby England Tourism, Whitby England Travel. Explore Whitby before you ever step onto a plane or into your car. With UpTake you can plan the trip that is just right for you, based on 20M opinions and reviews from travelers and exp - Luxury Accommodation Whitby & Places to Stay Whitby
Guide to Whitby luxury accommodation. Select a luxury place to stay in Whitby from a wide range of accommodation such as Dunsley Hall Country House Hotel, Raithwaite Hall - Whitby Abbey Picture Gallery, Whitby, Yorkshire Coast
Stayin the North York Moors ApartmentsBed & BreakfastBunk BarnsCampingCaravan ParksEaster, Whit. & Spring Guest HousesHoliday Cottages - Dracula Experience Whitby
A spine-chilling show. The ultimate Dracula Experience! - Dracula In Whitby, Whitby Hotels, Goth Weekend
A guide to the real Dracula story & his connection to Whitby, Yorkshire's unique vampire town. Hotels, B&B, Goth Weekend & more! - Dracula Experience - Whitby Online
Leisure, activity and outdoor firms in Whitby, North Yorkshire - Smoke Machines in the Dracula Experience, Whitby
Reports on smoke machines used at the Dracula Experience in Whitby. Description of the machines in use and how effective they are.
Have you ever been to Whitby? Have you been to the Dracula Experience? What do you think of Bram Stoker's Dracula? Thank you for visiting., and don't forget to hang the garlic tonight.....
© 2011 Lisa Marie Gabriel