Though not dramatic, this lighthouse sits low on the horizon and serves its vital function for sailors. Figure out where this photograph was taken, and send your idea to ellott@brack.net, and include your hometown.
That haunted-looking ruins in the recent Mystery Photo has worldwide interest for fans of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Holly Moore of Suwanee recognized Whitby Abbey, overlooking the North Sea in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. Located in the center of the Northumbrian kingdom, this 7th century Christian monastery, later became a Benedictine abbey. The monastery was established in 637 A.D. and disestablished in 1538 during King Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. The character, Count Dracula, comes ashore at this headland and ascends the steps to the St. Mary’s Church graveyard, next to the Abbey.” The photo was taken by Ann Marie Ellsworth of Chicago, and sent in by Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill.
Others recognizing the photo included Ann Serrie, Lawreceville; Allan Peel of San Antonio, Tex. and George Graf of Palmyra, Va. who added: “In December 1914, Whitby Abbey was shelled by German battlecruisers whose crew were aiming for the Coastguard Station on the end of the headland. The abbey buildings sustained considerable damage during the ten-minute attack. The ruins of the abbey are used by sailors as a landmark at the headland. Since the 20th century, the substantial ruins of the church have been declared a Grade I Listed building and are in the care of English Heritage.”
Peel told us: “In celebration of the 125th anniversary of the release of Dracula, the largest gathering of people dressed as vampires took place. The previous Guinness World record was 1,039 people, but that record was broken on May 26, 2022 when 1,369 ‘vampires’ showed up at the Whitby Abbey Ruins.
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