Whitby Abbey and The Dracula Trail
Whitby Abbey and The Dracula Trail on AllTrails

Start to Cleveland Way
To begin the walk, leave the car park via the vehicle entrance and turn left onto Abbey Lane, following the paved raised walkway alongside it. You will have great views of Whitby Abbey ruins over the wall to your left.
The first abbey at this site was founded in 657AD. This was abandoned in the 9th century but, after the Norman conquest, a new Benedictine community was established, rebuilding the church in the Gothic style from the 13th century. When Henry VIII ordered the suppression of the monasteries in the 1500s, part of the buildings were adapted as a home for the local Cholmley family. The family later abandoned the site and further damage was caused when the church was shelled during the First World War. Today, the ruins are managed by English Heritage.
After a left hand bend, look out on the right for a signpost marking a right turn onto the Cleveland Way. Go down the grass bank and cross Abbey Lane to take this turn.
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Cleveland Way to Hawkser Lane
Follow the tarmac path as it swings steadily right and keep ahead onto the stone coastal path marked with an acorn symbol. Take time to enjoy the views of the cliffs and rocks below.
Bram Stoker's novel Dracula was published in 1897 and several chapters of it are set in Whitby, where Stoker used to spend his summer holidays. Many of the scenes are based on real places, although he occasionally distorts the geography to fit the story. Looking out across the North Sea, imagine the Russian ship, Demeter, steered by a corpse lashed to the wheel approaching Whitby harbour.
As you reach a caravan site ahead, ignore the first path off to the right which runs to the right of the park. Follow the main coastal path which goes down some steps and then heads away from the cliffs into the heart of the caravan park.
After passing through the middle of the park's facilities you'll reach a fork (left onto the coast path and right onto the park access lane). Keep right here and follow the tarmac access lane out of the caravan park. Follow the lane all the way to the end where you'll reach a T-junction with Hawkser Lane.
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Hawkser Lane to The Ropery
Turn right along Hawkser Lane (taking care of any traffic), heading once again for the abbey ruin in the distance. As you reach the power lines passing overhead, turn left onto the signed public footpath. Follow the grass path which runs alongside a line of telegraph poles. At the end of the path, pass through an old kissing gate and keep ahead on the rough tarmac lane between stone cottages.
Soon you will be walking between hedgerows with views of the Whitby town houses on the steep slopes of its valley directly ahead. Bram Stoker loved the Whitby skyline and wrote- The houses of the old town are all red-roofed and seem piled up one over the other.
As the lane swings hard right, fork left down the narrow paved footpath alongside a tall wire fence. This path emerges alongside a property called Folly Gardens. Head down the tarmac drive and cross the main road to take the road opposite called The Ropery.
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The Ropery to Whitby Bridge
Continue down the residential street for some distance. Alongside property number 52 on the left, fork left down the cobbled slope. When you reach an open square of cobbles cross diagonally to continue on the cobbled slope downhill. The slope emerges to a T-junction with Church Street, with the harbour in front of you.
Cross over and turn right. On the right you'll pass the old Whitby Merchant Seamen's Hospital Houses which were founded in 1675 as accommodation for retired or injured fisherman or their widows. The site was refurbished in 1996 and a colourful statue presides over the doorway.
Keep ahead passing two open air car parks on the left. Immediately after them, fork left down Grape Lane passing the Captain Cook Memorial Museum on the left. At the far end of Grape Lane cross over the road and turn left to cross Whitby Bridge.

Whitby Bridge to East Crescent
At the far side of the bridge turn right to follow the pavement alongside the quay. After just a few yards (and about 4 properties before the Buck Inn) turn left up St Anne's Lane- a narrow stepped alleyway. At the top of the alley keep ahead uphill along Flowergate and then take the first right down the narrow Cliff Street.
At the end of Cliff Street follow it as it bends to the left and then turn left. Follow the curve of the road round to the right passing the properties on the left known as East Crescent. The characters Lucy and Mina were staying in a guest house in East Crescent in the setting of Stoker's book.

East Crescent to Dracula Memorial Bench
Continue on the road heading uphill and swinging right. At the end of the curve of houses, turn right down the steps into the park area and follow the slope to the right to reach the zebra crossing. Cross and turn left and after just a few paces fork right up the grass bank to your right.
At the top turn right and follow the path to reach the furthest bench. This bench is the Dracula Memorial Bench, which was erected in 1980 to commemorate the 68th anniversary of Stoker's death. Take some time to enjoy the views from here which inspired Bram Stoker to use Whitby as the setting for part of his novel. Of this view Stoker wrote - This is to my mind the nicest spot in Whitby, for it lies right over the town, and has a full view of the harbour. It was from this point one night that Mina saw Lucy in the church yard on the cliff opposite. Something dark stood behind the seat...something long and black bending over the half reclining figure.

Dracula Memorial Bench to Tate Hill Pier
When you'e finished admiring the views, return to the road and turn right heading downhill (up on the hill on the left you'll see the Whalebone Arch- a reminder of Whitby's past as a whaling port). After just a few paces, turn right through an arched tunnel.
Keep right down the long flight of steps. When you come to a T-junction in the path, turn left and then a little further along go down the steps to the right to reach the harbour-side road. Cross over and turn right with the harbour now on your left.
At the fork, keep left onto the paved walkway directly alongside the water. On the right you'll pass the Dracula Experience, an interactive attraction for those of you wanting to scare yourselves! Turn left, back over Whitby Bridge, and then take the first left into Sandgate.
Turn right at the market square, passing to the right of the old market hall (dating to 1798). At the junction turn left onto Church Street. Where the road bends hard right, fork left past the Duke of York onto Tate Hill. Take the steps on the left to reach Tate Hill Pier.

Tate Hill Pier to End
It was on this pier that the Russian Ship Demeter was washed up and Dracula came to shore. "The schooner paused not, but rushing across the harbour, pitched herself on that accumulation of sand and gravel washed by many tides and many storms into the south-east corner of...Tate Hill Pier...the very instant the shore was touched, an immense dog sprang up on deck from below...it disappeared in the darkness."
You may also want to take time to enjoy the patch of sandy beach here- Tate Hill Sands.
When you've finished at the pier, return up the steps and turn left into Sandside. Follow this as it swings right and you'll emerge alongside the bottom of the famous '99 Steps' which lead up to the abbey. Join these steps and climb to the top (there are a few benches on the way if you need a rest half way!).
At the top of the steps, fork left through the graveyard of the Church of St Mary the Virgin, which you can visit during opening times should you wish.
Pass out through the gate at the far end of the church yard and the entrance to Whitby Abbey will be on your right. Visit this should you wish - the site is managed by English Heritage and entrance fees apply. Keep to the left of the abbey and join the raised paved walkway with the wall to your right. Follow this to reach the car park where the walk began on the right.

Whitby Abbey and The Dracula Trail on AllTrails