I will start off by clarifying that I have not travelled across many seas, it is still just the one. On New Year’s Eve, my sister and I travelled to Whitby, a town on the north-east coast of England. It is famous for several things including Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Dracula Daily

I recently (now known as last year) read Dracula Daily. Dracula, the novel, is told as a collection of diary entries, newspaper clippings and letters. Dracula Daily sends all of these directly to your email inbox on the day of the year that these took place. This means that you can experience the story in real-time, over the course of several months, as opposed to jumping backwards and forwards. It offers a different perspective on a much loved and read story. I would recommend the experience.

The Setting

What does all of this have to do with Whitby, you ask. It is where Count Dracula makes his first debut in England.

I won’t spoil it for those who are yet to read the book BUT I will just casually drop this image here for you to appreciate:

It’s easy to imagine how crashing waves, a darkened sky, and a terrible mist could help create such a tale. The rolling cliffs stand huddled on either side of the town. The waters, while extraordinarily calm at the time of our visit, were close to overflowing parts of the harbour walls. Stoker had conjured an image in my head that perfectly matched the true silhouette of the area.

The Abbey

We walked the cobbled streets before slowly ascending the steps up to the Abbey atop the southern cliff. I could picture Lucy and Mina seated there, looking down over the harbour, unaware of how much their written lives would change in such a short amount of time.

We weren’t able to enter the Abbey itself. Still, the gaze of its windows could be felt upon us as we explored the nearby graveyard.

My sister, a great lover of ghosts and all things spiritual, asked if I felt anything while walking amongst the weather-worn headstones; despite the spooky picture featured below, I can safely say that this was actually one of the most peaceful resting places that I have ever encountered.

Jet

I see it as no coincidence that jet retained its popularity, in Whitby, after the publication of Dracula in 1897, despite its decline in demand elsewhere. Jet is one of the darkest stones on Earth. A rare rock, produced from fossilised tree trunks and branches, it adorns many of the shop windows in Whitby to this day. Any fan of Dracula would easily be able to find an item of jewelry worthy of the book’s gothic atmosphere.

Shards of the mineraloid also wash up on the beach if you would prefer to go searching instead. The material was originally used mostly for rosaries, a very fitting idea considering the vampires’ aversion to all things religious.

Whitby

I hate to say it but Whitby is not all about Dracula, despite the impression that I may have given above. No, Whitby is also a fish and chip lovers town. We even managed to find one which fries its chips in vegetable oil! There’s lots of information on James Cook scattered about the place and, for the nautical lovers out there, they have a harbour entrance that tries to plait any visiting waves into submission.

I would happily visit Whitby again, especially during Whitby Goth Weekend.

If anyone knows of any other famous book settings then please let me know through my suggestions form.