Twilight unearths Whitby's vampire roots

By ANGELA HARPER - AAP

In 2009 vampires are cool.

But in 1897, when Bram Stoker penned his first novel, Dracula, about the vampire count, the popularity of vampires was in its twilight.

The Irish writer drew first blood for his fictional tale set in the north Yorkshire fishing village of Whitby.

Stoker would sit on a bench overlooking the bay where his blood-sucking character Dracula first landed in the UK.

The story tells of the doomed Russian schooner, the Demeter, which arrives in port devoid of all crew (who mysteriously died), except for the unlucky captain whose grisly corpse is lashed to the wheel at the ship's helm.

A black dog, one of the many forms Dracula could take, jumps from the ship and ascends the 199 stone steps to the churchyard that lies in the shadows of the ruins of Whitby Abbey.

Vampires live on in a multitude of books and films, the latest being Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.

Climbing the 199 ancient stone stairs to the graveyard in St Mary's churchyard is not easy and gets the blood pumping while the mind runs wild thinking about the gory vampire story.

The view from the cliffs at the top of the famous stairs is spectacular and is said to be the best along that section of the coast.

Wandering through the darkened tombstones, it is impossible to ignore the towering silhouette of Whitby Abbey, which also has a haunted past.

Archaeological digs have revealed a 7th century burial ground of kings and a training ground for saints.

St Hilda's Abbey also stood there, where the Synod of Whitby (664) bound Celtic and Roman Christianity together to settle the date of Easter, according to Whitby Tourism Association.

Rumour has it that a ghostly choir can be heard singing at dawn, while the ghost of a nun only shows herself when lovers visit the Abbey.

The view from on top of he cliffs back across the bay takes in Stoker's bench.

On a more worldly note, it was this view that inspired the young Captain James Cook to go to sea.

The Captain Cook Museum is in Grape Lane, in the main shopping precinct, which is a series of cobblestone lanes that run parallel to the waterfront. (Cooktown in north Queensland is Whitby's twin town.)

The Dracula connection continues with the former fishing village, famous for its fish and chip shops, also home to a big biannual gothic festival.

Whitby Goth Weekend (WGW), which takes place in April and at Halloween, has Goth funeral processions, demonstration of Victorian era surgery and hangman techniques as well as a dose of magic, burlesque, fire and Goth bingo.

And the ghoulish can also take a tour, the Dracula Experience, which tells the Bram Stoker story.

If supernatural spooks intrigue you, Whitby is not the only place to get a scary fix. Nearby York is a must for those who hanker for a ghostly experience.

York is a walled town that not only holds its own in world history, but is also home to a raft of ghostly legends.

There's gruesome tales of vengeful ghosts haunting a number of ancient establishments scattered throughout York. Every night ghost walks set off around the town.

The Original Ghost Walk of York host, Mark, has been leading the haunting walk around the city precinct for 30 years.

He loves a bit of drama.

Carrying an old cane that he uses to point out hotspots that are rumoured to be haunted, he has a tendency to take people by surprise during the walk. So beware!

Tucked away on a cobblestone street in the shopping precinct is York's most haunted house, at 35 Stonegate.

Upon entering the house, the rather haunted looking host warns of ghosts that lurk inside. A narrated recording guides guests through the spooky house.

The tour ends in an upstairs room that is set up for a seance. It would not be a tour to do alone.

While there was no ghost sighting on the tour, a couple of unexplained events happened in an upstairs room. The biggest, toughest male of the group had goose bumps and the hairs went up on the back of his neck in two rooms. Be aware – your host films and monitors your every move on closed-circuit cameras.

If you are unable to make the tour, or want a preview, ghost hunters can watch live webcams on the house's website.

Locals claim there are many other sites that are haunted around the historical region, which is easy to believe when walking through the cobblestone streets and visiting the ancient buildings.

Whether vampires or ghosts are your weakness, there's plenty to keep you spooked in north Yorkshire.

IF YOU GO

The stair walk and tour around the graveyard and Abbey is free of charge.

The York ghost walk costs £4.50 ($NZ10.46) for adults and £3 for children, while the haunted house will set you back £9 for adults and £6 for children (not advised for young children).

Visit Yorkshire.com

Check out the Ghost walk

York's most haunted house

* The writer was a guest of Air Asia and Visit Yorkshire.