F3BG4H View over the fishing port of Whitby with the Abbey on the hilltop, North Yorkshire, England, UKIan Dagnall / Alamy Stock Photo
The smart harbour town of Whitby serves as a dramatic contrast to the jagged Yorkshire coastline. From the high vantage point of the 1,360-year-old Whitby Abbey (the inspiration for Bram Stoker's novel, ‘Dracula’), it sometimes seems as though the town could be swept into the sea with a single gust of wind. Those with a taste for the darker side of life will perhaps be interested in making the pilgrimage to the bi-annual Goth Weekend Festival. Dressed in all black, hundreds of participants come together to dance and visit the fossilised ‘Whitby Jet’. Those less keen on ruminating on the blackness of the unknowable abyss can sun themselves on the sandy beach in the town's cove, surrounded by plenty of excellent chop shops and cafés. We recommend the Magpie Café. Antonia Bentel
