Follow in the footsteps of Bram Stoker’s Dracula by climbing the town’s 199 steps (tradition demands you should count them as you go).
Starting among a slew of idiosyncratic shops, the steps clamber up the cliffside, slowly revealing more and more of the red-roofed town. At the top you’ll find Whitby Abbey, as decorously ruined a place of worship as you could hope for, and the decidedly odd St Mary’s church with its triple-decker pulpit and bewildering maze of box pews.
Little wonder that Bram Stoker found so much gothic inspiration here.
2005 Restoration Of The 199 Steps
The Whitby Gazette teamed up with Whitby Parochial Church to offer readers the chance to sponsor each step for £1,000 back in March 2004. The work was carried out on the steps through 2005.
Anyone donating £1,000 could name a step and become part of Whitby’s history.
Families, businesses and societies showed their support and all 199 were snapped up in just 14 weeks.
Did you sponsor one of the steps ? Have you got a story to tell ? Why did you sponsor a step ? What does Whitby mean to you ? Please use the comments section below to let us know your story as we would love to hear from as many people as possible.
In 2005 The 199 Steps at Whitby were restored. Public Fundraising helped with the restoration. Below is a list of names of people and businesses who sponsored a step.
- North East Coop
- SPC UK
- William Wright And Family
- John Atkinson 1924-1971
- Duke Of York Public House
- Headlam And Sons SS Ltd
- William Headlam 1908 – 1988
- Marjory And Dick Hunter
- Andrew And Marion Walker
- The Sutcliffe Gallery
- Phyl And Lol Inman
- Rachel And William Tyreman
- Whitby Goth Weekend
- Nell The Sheepdog
- Burdon And Smith Family
- Len And Helen Butters
- The Evans Family
- Galleway
- The Smailes Family
- MA Mike Richardson
- John And Mavis Mawdsley NeeLaws
- Our Second Home
- Buchannon And White
- Richard, Helena And Juliet
- Paul And Christine Bacon
- Eric And Doris Thompson And Family
- Brendan And Dillon Skillbeck
- Ted Smith And Family Love Lane
- Gabriel Wilson
- Our Son Keith
- Tony Norman 1931 – 2001
- Keith Scanlon
- Derek And Dorothy Steele
- Whitby Art Society
- Elizabeth Bothams And Son
- Reginald And Emily Shaw
- Joyce And Barry Turner
- Fusco Ltd
- Whitby Folk Week Community
- Happy 50th Gregor 2004
- W Watson ABS HMS Resolution
- Gill and John Harris Ashbourne
- Nellie And Albert Thomas
- Jaqueline And Anne Burnett
- Stephenson and Macey Families
- Henry And Annie Hawkins
- David Wright
- Alan And Cath Griffin
- The Davinson Sisters
- Benson Stage Academy 1953
Did you sponsor one of the steps ? Have you got a story to tell ? Why did you sponsor a step ? What does Whitby mean to you ? Please use the comments section below to let us know your story as we would love to hear from as many people as possible.
199 Steps At Whitby Gallery
Click thumbs to view full sized images
I used to count the steps with my grandfather many years ago, i now do it with my own grand kids time has flown by
I do it with my kids, although theyre getting older now. A few years ago my daughter counted 235. No joke. And she was in top class at school.
some very nice photos there thank you. So nice to see the town shown in such a wonderful way.
this is the second time ive tried saying this but it doesnt seem to post but these are some very lovely pictures.
Someone a few years ago thought it would be a good idea to raise money for a charity, by putting a penny on each step. Till someone else pointed out the total collected would only be £1.99..