Walking in a Whitby Wonderland

Advantages: Spectacular setting, great northern seaside tradition
Disadvantages: Tricky to get round in parts, far too easy to stuff your face!

...Over the years, I've spent many a glorious family weekend sampling the delights of the traditional fishing port of Whitby, a genuine treasure of the North Yorkshire coastline, tantalisingly within reach of Newcastle, York and Scarborough. It's a town rich in maritime tradition, popular with young and old, steeped in history and reeking of premium freshly caught fish and chips. Fittingly in the very place where the famous Dublin born 19th century novelist, Bram Stoker found the inspiration, amongst the haunting cliff-top Abbey ruins, to write his masterpiece of Gothic intrigue Dracula, the local gemstone is Whitby Jet ; dark, opulent and magical in every aspect. All dressed in black for a day at the seaside And believe me, if like us you happen upon Gothic weekend, if you go down to the beach that day you're sure of a big...

paulwilsontastic 05.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Whitby (England)

Whitby's wonderful harbour

Advantages: Lots of history, plenty to see and do
Disadvantages: Some areas are not suitable for disabled visitors

...Whitby is a small fishing town in the north east of England and in my opinion it is one of the most beautiful picturesque seaside locations in this part of England. The town itself has a real old worldly feel to it with its bustling narrow streets and each week thousands of visitors descend on the town to soak up its charm. At the heart of Whitby is its harbour and without this harbour there is no doubt that Whitby would not be the wonderful place that we find today. The town grew up along the two opposite banks of the River Esk, which is spanned by a swing bridge that was constructed in 1908. It is however known that a bridge has spanned this river since medieval times, whilst the town itself predates that by a further thousand years or more. Whitby's most famous landmark, its abbey was built in the year 657AD. Today, Whitby...

micksheff 01.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Whitby Harbour

Whitby

Advantages: Lots for old and young
Disadvantages: none

...the bus and railway stations, which have details of daily excursions to the village?s roundabout. Plus you can get tickets for the tour here. From this side of Whitby you can take a stroll along the quay and pier, if you so wish you can book a boat trip or a fishing trip for around £3.50 an adult and £1.50 a child which will give you around 30 minutes at sea?however being water shy, I can?t actually tell you what they are like, but I have heard they are very enjoyable. The pier itself caters more for the family scene, there is a fortune Teller of course, and The Dracula Experience, a walk through that will leave you with nightmares for a week! (in case you were wondering about Dracula, well if any of you have read Bram Stokers book , it tells you that he landed at the foot of Whitby Abbey in a boat, hence our connection with the Vampire...

broksababe 27.07.2000 (28.12.2000) · Read review
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Review of Whitby in General

Wish you were in Whitby, but bring a coat ... !

Advantages: Lovely place, nice atmosphere, not over-run by pests
Disadvantages: journey was difficult, was rather too commercial

...-line and travels to York (the nearest city). ATTRACTIONS Whitby is famous for it's abbey with 199 steps from which Dracula was created, Dracula himself (including the museum), the Whale Bones in the cliff-side and it fishing heritage with Captain Cook. THE ABBEY: Whitby Abbey is located on top of a cliff towering over Whitby. The Abbey is only ruins but it is still magnificent. It is set on hill which leads straight to the coastal path and is neighboured by St. Mary's Church. Both are landmarks and very visible from Whitby, they are definitely worth having a look at. During the winter months the Abbey is only open on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays 10:00am-4:00pm. It costs £5.00 for an Adult; £4.00 for concessions; £2.50 for a child under 15 and over 5; it is free for a child under 5, a member and OVP. You can explore 2...

wantaratgirl 20.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Whitby (England)

Whitby Abbey

Advantages: Good views. lots of history
Disadvantages: Admission charges

...relate to some of Whitby's most famous residents. These include St Hilda, whose story is told here as well as Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, who used this Gothic Abbey as the inspiration behind his creation. The most notable omission here is virtually no reference to the town's most famous resident, Captain James Cook. This probably has something to do with the fact that he has his own museum dedicated to him in the town. Next to the visitor centre there is the customary gift shop with souvenirs and toys etc. Most visitors to the Abbey, myself included, reach it from the harbour via 199 steep steps known as Caedmon's Trod. Caedmon was a famous poet that took refuge within the walls of the Abbey. This route is however bot suitable for the disabled or the infirm as it is very steep. There is a slope at the side of the steps and during my...

micksheff 09.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire

Disciple of Dracula

Advantages: Good cast, sets, competent direction, nice score
Disadvantages: Uneven screenplay, too little of Dracula

...Hot on the heels of the box office returns from 1968s 'Dracula Has Risen from the Grave' Hammer rushed it's next vampire project into production. In what was common practice at the house of horror, promotional materials were on the prospective distributors desks before a word of the script had been typed. With Christopher Lee ruling himself out of the role after his dissatisfaction with 'Risen' and a combination of boredom and a fear of typecasting with the role, Tony Hinds set about fashioning a screenplay without the titular vampire. The plan was to groom a new actor in the role of Dracula's disciple, and to hopefully keep the series ticking over well into the 1970s. Distibutors Warner Seven Arts threw a stake into the works on delivery of the screenplay, and couldn't help but wonder where Dracula was, and more importantly...

dadmancat 12.10.2005 · Read review
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Review of Taste The Blood Of Dracula (DVD)

Whitby - Heartbeat country

Advantages: olde world not spoilt
Disadvantages: not wheelchair friendly

...Whitby, a charming harbour town with steep streets and cobbled narrow alleys in the east part of the town. The town is split into two by the River Esk and the harbour, with a swing bridge connecting the two parts. Besides its fishing heritage, fresh fish available daily, it's claim to fame is that the town is where Dracula come ashore in the famous Dracula" book by Bram Stoker. The churchyard, of the parish church of St Mary, which inspired him is reached by 199 steps from the harbour, all upwards! The other major "son" of the town is Captain Cook. James Cook was an apprentice seaman here and the house is now a museum dedicated to him. There is a bonze statue of him overlooking the harbour. Besides the shops and harbour you can journey further afield, south to Robin Hood Bay for fossil hunting, visiting the small fishing...

sheffsal 29.09.2004 · Read review
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Review of Whitby (England)

Bram Stokers Dracula introduces a literary icon

Advantages: Dracula is a great novel and introduces a literary icon
Disadvantages: the writing style is strange and makes the reading odd at times

...Dracula in a similar manner to Frankenstein has become more famous than the original book through exposure in films, TV and popular literature. An example of this is the town of Whitby which is known for being the place Dracula landed despite Dracula being a literary creation by Bram Stoker. So the basic story away from the image we all know of the cape, teeth, bats and impeccable upper class manners, Dracula is a man Jonathan Harker is asked to go to a castle in Transylvania (Romania) where he meets Count Dracula. The count is looking for a property in England and Harker has been asked by his English sponsors to act as a conduit between the firm and the Count. The count of course lives in an antiquated castle, Harker becomes imprisoned and starts to become worried about the counts nocturnal activities and the disappearances...

alderman55 05.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Dracula - Bram Stoker

Whitby is Delightful

Advantages: Beautiful. Quaint. Historical. Links to Dracula,
Disadvantages: Hard to think of any

...When I lived in Yorkshire-itself a gorgeous county for those prepared to seek out its many charms-one of my most popular excursions was to take my wife and young daughter to Whitby. What a delightful little town Whitby is. As you approach it from the moors the first dramatic sight is that of the 11 th century Whitby Abbey,sacked during the days of King Henry VIII th. Now this building is under the auspices of English Heritage and to get to it from the town,you have to climb no less than 199 steps. Entrance is one pound,seventy pence. Whitby is forever assciated with Count Dracula. The author, Bram Stoker,lived in the town. This lovely little town also has a monument to Captain James Cook-this Yorkshireman was a wonderful sailor,who charted the oceans,pioneered developments in Australia, and insisted on his sailors taking lime to...

ashford 17.08.2001 · Read review
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Review of Whitby in General

Watch out for Dracula

Advantages: A pretty town with something for everyone
Disadvantages: Lots of steep climbs and steps

...Whitby is famous as the place where Bram Stoker’s Dracula came ashore all those years ago and there are plenty of museums dedicated to the neck-biting vampire, but Whitby has so much more to offer. If you’re a fan of Heartbeat, as I am, you’ll probably recognise a lot of the places in Whitby as they quite often film part of the programme here. The town itself is a former whaling port built at the mouth of the river Esk and rises steeply from the river on both banks. On one side are the majority of the guesthouses and hotels together with the main shops, banks, post office etc. As most of the guesthouses are set high up on the cliffs you can sometimes get a room at the top of the house with a view right over the river across to the Abbey ruins. The shopping here is quite good considering that it is only...

SusanLesley 25.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of Whitby (England)