Count them on the way up and there really are 199 — the old Church Stairs climbing from Whitby’s harbour to St Mary’s Church and the abbey ruins on the East Cliff. The flat landings partway up were where coffin bearers rested on the long carry to the churchyard. It’s the corner of Whitby that Bram Stoker drew on for Dracula, and a stiff but rewarding climb. The station is just across the bridge in the lower town.
Whitby 199 Steps
Local highlightPhoto Phil Hearing / Unsplash; © Stephen McKay / Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0