Dracula’s Whitby – Episode 2
- mark McAlpine
- Oct 24
- 5 min read
Whitby is one of those towns that shows you a different face depending on where you wander. In Episode 1 of my adventure, I explored Whitby shops, food and fish and chips, sampling fudge, browsing jet jewellery, and eating Magpie’s famous fish and chips on the harbour. But for Episode 2, I wanted to explore the other side of Whitby, the side that inspired Bram Stoker to write Dracula.
This journey took me from a cosy bar with craft cider, past quirky shops, up the steep 199 Steps, through St Mary’s graveyard, around the brooding Abbey ruins, and finally down the Donkey Road back to the harbour. Along the way, Whitby revealed why it has become one of the most gothic towns in England.
A Cheeky Pint at the Green Dragon
I began the day in the Green Dragon bar, a pub with bags of character. Behind the bar was a friendly local lady who poured me a pint of rhubarb and mango craft cider, a drink that sounded unusual but turned out to be crisp, fruity, and perfect for fuelling the climb ahead.
We got chatting, and she mentioned she was a keen open-water swimmer. Whitby has a real culture of cold-water dips, with groups regularly plunging into the North Sea no matter the weather. It’s a reminder that the town’s connection to the sea runs much deeper than just fishing or tourism.
There’s something about sharing a pint in a pub like this, wooden beams, cosy corners, locals with stories, that makes you feel like you’re already stepping into a different time. And given what was ahead, it felt like the perfect start to a day of history and gothic atmosphere.
A Quirky Shop on the Way
Leaving the bar, I wandered towards the East Cliff and got drawn into a little quirky shop along the way. The place was full of shiny keyrings, masks hanging on the walls, and odds and ends that seemed half tourist tat, half treasure trove.
Whitby has plenty of shops like this, where you can pick up everything from seashell windchimes to gothic trinkets that lean into the Dracula theme. It’s part of the fun of exploring Whitby: you never know whether you’ll walk out with a stick of rock or something that looks like it came from a vampire’s parlour.
The 199 Steps – Dracula’s Path
No trip to Whitby is complete without climbing the 199 Steps. Steep, narrow, and full of character, they link the town with the East Cliff and St Mary’s Church.
The steps themselves are historic, first mentioned as early as the 1300s, and for centuries they were made of wood before being replaced by stone. Pilgrims, locals, and even funeral processions once climbed them, carrying coffins all the way to St Mary’s at the top.
For Dracula fans, the steps are one of the most iconic places in Whitby. In Stoker’s novel, Count Dracula comes ashore in the form of a black dog and is said to run up the 199 Steps towards the graveyard. Standing there, with the wind blowing in off the sea, it’s easy to see why Stoker wrote it that way. The climb feels dramatic, the views widen as you ascend, and the Abbey looms above like a shadow.
I stopped a few times to catch my breath and to get some video footage, of course, but reaching the top was worth every step.
St Mary’s Church and Graveyard
At the top, the path opens onto St Mary’s Church, its churchyard scattered with tilted gravestones. The place is windswept, eerie, and full of atmosphere.
Bram Stoker visited Whitby in 1890, and it’s said that walking through this very graveyard gave him some of the inspiration for Dracula. He noted down real names from the gravestones and used them in the novel. Combined with the view of the harbour and the Abbey rising behind, it’s no wonder the churchyard left such an impression on him.
Wandering among the stones, you feel both the weight of history and the gothic drama that Whitby has come to symbolise. It’s the kind of place where imagination runs wild, especially when you know you’re walking in Stoker’s footsteps.
The Abbey Ruins – Gothic Silhouette
Just beyond St Mary’s lies Whitby Abbey, perched high on the cliffs. The Abbey has stood in various forms since the 7th century, when St Hilda founded a monastery here. The ruins you see today mostly date from the 13th century, after centuries of rebuilding, Viking raids, and later destruction under Henry VIII.
By the time I reached the Abbey, the gates had closed for the day. But in a way, that made it even more atmospheric. I walked around the outside, the wind whistling through the grass, the ruins silhouetted against the evening sky.
The Abbey’s jagged gothic outline has inspired artists, writers, and visitors for centuries, and for Bram Stoker, it provided the perfect backdrop for a tale of vampires and shadows. Looking up at those ruins, it’s easy to imagine Dracula himself standing on the cliff, cloak billowing in the wind.
Down the Donkey Road
After circling the Abbey, I decided to take the Donkey Road back down to the town. This steep track runs parallel to the 199 Steps and was once used as an easier way up and down the cliff for donkeys carrying goods.
Today, it’s a quieter path, offering a different perspective of Whitby as you descend. Unlike the dramatic sweep of the steps, the Donkey Road feels more hidden, almost like a secret path. It was a peaceful way to finish the climb, with the rooftops of Whitby slowly reappearing as I wound my way back to the harbour.
Dracula’s Whitby
What struck me most about this day was how Whitby balances its roles. It’s a working harbour town, a seaside holiday spot, and a gothic landmark all at once. The pubs are welcoming, the shops are quirky, the history is rich, and the Dracula connections give it all a theatrical edge.
For me, Episode 2 was about tracing Dracula’s Whitby:
From the 199 Steps where he climbed as a black dog,
To the graveyard where Stoker found inspiration,
To the Abbey whose ruins dominate the skyline.
Mix in a craft cider, a quirky shop, and a stroll down the Donkey Road, and you’ve got the perfect Whitby wander, gothic, friendly, and unforgettable.
Final Thoughts
Episode 2 showed me why Whitby is more than just fish and chips. It’s a town steeped in stories, where history and legend blur together. Standing on the cliffs with the Abbey ruins above and the harbour below, you feel the same pull that Stoker must have felt — the sense that Whitby is a place where imagination comes alive.
Between the Green Dragon pub, the quirky shop, the 199 Steps, St Mary’s graveyard, the Abbey ruins, and the Donkey Road, Whitby delivered a gothic day out I won’t forget.
Together, Episodes 1 and 2 gave me two sides of this remarkable town: Whitby shops, food and fish and chips on one hand, and Dracula’s Whitby on the other.
Watch the Episode
You can watch the full adventure on my YouTube channel linked below:
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