The North Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby draws hundreds of spooky, black-clad Goths to its streets each year.
Inspired by the town’s featuring as a setting in Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, Whitby Goth Weekend is promoted as an “alternative” festival and it’s not hard to see why.
Photos from this year’s ghoulish gathering show gothic fans dressed as devils treading Whitby’s cobbled streets while others in Victorian costumes standing outside a fish and chip shop.
The weekend has been going since 1994 when pen-friends met at The Elsinore pub and since then it has grown to a twice-yearly event.
More than 100 traders sold Goth-themed goods at the festival’s Bizarre Bazaar Alternative Market.
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A key spot during the weekend is Whitby Abbey, which sits above the town and features in Stoker’s novel, with character Mina Murray noting its “immense size” and the legend of a white lady who appears at one of the windows.
Henry Irving’s business manager, Stoker arrived at a guesthouse at 6 Royal Crescent, Whitby, at the end of July 1890 after a theatrical tour of Scotland.
Irving had recommended the town as a place to stay so it is thanks to him that Whitby features in the classic novel. The house where Stoker stayed still stands and now boasts a plaque to mark his visit.
Visitors now can follow the audio drama, In the Footsteps of Bram Stoker, taking them around the seaside resort with the story unfolding from the Old Lighthouse on Whitby’s West Pier.
The town also boasts the escape room, Eskape Whitby, which offers sleuths two immersive rooms to exercise their detective skills.
There are boat trips offering whale watching as well as tours of the loca distillery, which says it offers a range of spirts “for all ginthusiasts”.
Rail enthusiasts can book a seat with North Yorkshire Moors Railways which offers a stop at Goathland, which served as the original Hogsmeade Station in the film version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Food-wise, Whitby and the surrounding area has a range of eateries, including Fish Cottage, Estbek House Restaurant, The Garden Room Bistro at Sneaton Castle and Albert’s Eatery, which is inside the town’s museum.
The town has a variety of accommodation options with Visitwhitby.com recommending Bagdale Hall Hotel, Raithwaite Sandsend, Resolution Hotel and Jet Black Jewel Hotel, to name a few.
To get to Whitby from the north, follow the A171 down from Guisborough or if you are already on the Yorkshire coast, follow the A171 up from Scarborough to Whitby.
From the south and west, follow the A64 then take the A169 around Malton, drive through Pickering and join the A171 just after Staithes.
Northern Rail trains run to and from Whitby, while Coastliner buses run regularly. To get there by plane, get a flight to Leeds Bradford Airport, Durham Tees Valley Airport or Newcastle International Airport.