'Dracula's Grave' | Whitby

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High above Whitby's eastern edge, perched between the town and the crumbling ruins of Whitby Abbey, stands St. Mary's Church. The expansive graveyard stopped receiving new burials back in 1858 due to overcrowding and its growing popularity as a tourist attraction. This particular grave garners significant attention as either that of Dracula or a pirate. However, neither claim is accurate, and the skull depicted here serves as a poignant momento mori, a once-widespread feature on grave markers meant to remind the living of their mortality. Avoid visiting Whitby and asking locals "where is Dracula buried?" – it's pointless. Moreover, why would a pirate receive a dignified burial in a churchyard? Engage your brain and read a book; perhaps Bram Stoker's "Dracula" (1897) might provide some insight. Stoker did set a scene in "Dracula" within this graveyard, likely inspired by the abbey's majestic gothic ruins, the breathtaking views across the town and sea, and the eerie spookiness of the eroding graveyard with its momentos. 83 images captured on an autumnal North Sea afternoon were processed using Metashape and Meshlab. Remember that mortality awaits us all.