Dominating the skyline of Whitby's East Cliff are the parish church of St Mary, the ruins of St Hilda's Abbey and Abbey House, now home to Whitby Youth Hostel.
The main pedestrian route between the bustling, narrow streets of the town centre and the otherworldliness of the Gothic abbey, is via the long sweeping curve of the one hundred and ninety-nine steps.
The Abbey, once a Benedictine Monestry and home to the English poet Caedmon, is now owned and maintained by English Heritage. There is more information about the Abbey here.
The 1897 Gothic Horror novel Dracula (Bram Stoker) was inspired by the ruins of St Hilda's Abbey and this churchyard of St Mary, part of the reason for the town's choice as location for the twice yearly Goth Weekend which draws huge crowds to the area.
