In the UK, the BBC’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” is just the most recent in a long line of TV programmes either filmed or set in or around North Yorkshire (and of course our self catering holiday cottages in the Vale of Pickering). “Emmerdale”, a soap opera, might be the most prevalent one on TV now. But visitors still flock to visit areas around Goathland, which was Aidensfield in the 18 series of the period police TV drama “Heartbeat” and Scarborough for the spin off hospital-based series called “The Royal”. Goathland’s train station features in the series as well and is one of the many picturesque stops on the North York Moors Railway. The nearby Castle Howard was the location for both TV and film adaptations of “Brideshead Revisited’
“Downton Abbey”, whilst set in North Yorkshire was mainly filmed in Hampshire and Wiltshire.
Whitby, in North Yorkshire with its Gothic Abbey, not only is one of the settings for “Dracula”, it also provided a lot of the inspiration and source material for the story as well. While staying in Whitby, Bram Stoker would have heard and read about the shipwreck five years earlier of a Russian vessel called the Dmitry, from Narva (now in modern-day Estonia). This ran aground on Tate Hill Sands below East Cliff in Whitby. Stoker re-arranged the name to become the Demeter from Varna and that become the vessel that carries Dracula to Whitby in the story. (The photograph below of the Dimitry is made by Frank Meadow Sutcliff – who documented a lot of life in Whitby through his photography). In the BBC adaptation it looks like he comes ashore at North Landing, which is at Flamborough Head., albeit they did superimpose Whitby Abbey at the top of the cliffs!
Dimitry of Narva, Whitby
“Dracula” to one side, 2020 also brings us a reboot/re-imagination of “The Secret Garden”, which was filmed in and around Hemsley at the western end of the Vale of Pickering.
We have more information about things to see and do in Whitby in this post.
If you’re thinking of visiting Whitby, why not stay with us? We are only 50 minutes away and offer a good central location for visiting the best of the Yorkshire coast and countryside.
