We had guests over for the weekend from the south and thought it would be a good idea to take them to Whitby. Whitby Abbey is a great land mark. While we usually think of the iconic Whitby Abbey falling into ruin due to King Henry VIII or centuries of brutal North Sea weather, it actually survived a direct naval attack. On December 16, 1914, the German Navy launched a surprise raid on the Yorkshire coast. Whitby was hit by over a dozen shells in a matter of minutes. The coastguard station was targeted, and several shells struck the beautiful sandstone walls of the abbey itself.

Gillian had made a lovely picnic, and so my fish and chips plan was thwarted. When I last picnicked out in the wilds, a seagull had appeared from nowhere. This time I felt the edge of a graveyard would be safe, and the feathered beggars were nowhere to be seen. Of course once the food is laid out itβs kinda inevitable.

The small church has a sign that says: βPlease donβt ask staff where Draculaβs grave is. There isnβt one!β π After my post last year youβre all familiar with the fact that Dracula came ashore at Whitby disguised as a dog, so I wonβt repeat myself, but heβs still here in the Dracula museum, after all these years.

Of course the Goths have made it their Jerusalem (might be a bit dramatic there, but I am supposed to be a writerπ) Walking through the streets this past Saturday, I couldn’t help but think about how this town transforms into a sea of spectacular outfits every Spring and Autumn for the Whitby Goth Weekend.


Whatever the weather, whatever your situation is, Whitby is always a great place to visit. Our guests loved it!



Happy Trails, Folks x








