In late July 1890, Bram Stoker made the train journey from London King’s Cross to Whitby and proceeded to Mrs Veazey’s lodging house at 6 Royal Crescent.
The West Cliff would have looked a little different then with no Captain Cook monument (built 1913) but the steps to Khyber Pass had recently been constructed so he may well have walked down them before proceeding over the old ‘drawbridge’ and making his way along Church Street to the 199 steps. There would have been no Caedmon’s Cross (1898) when he reached the summit and as he looked out to see the piers would have been minus their extensions (built 1911-1913). During his stay he walked around the graveyard transcribing over 90 of the gravestones.
A week later Bram was joined by his wife (Florence) and son (Noel), they are known to have visited Mulgrave Woods and Robin Hoods Bay and watched the second annual Water Fete organised by Alderman Pannett.
In the last week of their holiday on 19th August Bram Stoker visited Whitby Museum (then on Pier Road) where he signed the visitor’s book. He also visited the Subscription Library on the floor below. He consulted several books in both libraries which were to influence his work on Dracula.
Much of the detail of Bram Stoker’s holiday is described in chapters 6, 7 and 8 of Dracula, set in Whitby.