04-08-2025
Not bat interesting! Seaside town that inspired Dracula is the most BORING in the UK, poll finds
Whitby may have a historic abbey, be steeped in history and boast connections with literary greats Bram Stoker and Lewis Carroll.
But according to a national survey the seaside town which inspired Dracula is just not exciting enough.
Both Whitby and its sister resort of Filey have both been branded among the most boring in the country.
The pollsters blamed a lack of glitzy attractions such as casinos, water parks, and other all weather entertainment venues for the poor scores.
But when the Daily Mail visited both resorts, they spoke to visitors who fiercely disagreed.
The survey shocked all five members of the Vardy family - Emma, Janet, Paul, Karl, and five-year-old Arthur who had just enjoyed a fantastic day out at Whitby Abbey.
Janet said: 'Arthur loves it. He likes the rides he likes the beach there is lots to do and so much history.
'We stayed in the Royal Hotel and it could not have been better. The room is lovely and there is karaoke at night.
'There are cafes, shops - and a few arcades. There are lots of eating plus. There are tour buses to go on and a lot of them were covered.'
Nodding in agreement, Emma added. 'There is never any trouble. Everyone is always friendly.
'Arthur likes to wander around and look at all the old street names like Love Lane and Henrietta Street.
'We like the old fashioned pubs. You do not come here for the night life. You come here because the place has got character.'
Father of two John Brayshaw, 52, from Leeds said: 'We come at least three times a year and stay over and have done since the kids were little.
'There is plenty to do here. It is nice and quiet and no rubbish.
'What is a place like Whitby supposed to do? Flatten the North York Moors and build a bowling alley? We love the architecture, the cafes - and the chip butties.'
His daughter Amber, 15, said: 'If things like that here it would not be the same and we would not come. It is family orientated.'
Ice cream seller Tony Cervone, 61, has been trading in Whitby 20 years and has a passion for Dracula.
He said: 'It is true there is nowhere to shelter in the rain. But you can always go to a restaurant or cafe.
'If you want a casino you can go to Scarborough. You come here for the history, a nice ride on the boat and spot for dolphins.
'There is always Dracula as well. A lot of people think he is buried in St Mary's Church yard.'
Eric Beaumont, from Pickering, preferred Whitby to Scarborough but said the main problem with the town was not lack of attractions but parking.
He is a fan of vintage machinery, such as tractor engines and old fairground rides and reckons both Whitby and Scarborough has plenty of those attractions.
He said: 'I am only here for the steam traction rally. We have given up coming to Whitby because you can never get parked or you have to park so far away it takes all day.
'It is not that Whitby is tired. It is a good place and more or less on our doorstep. But you can never get parked so we don't usually bother coming.'
Justine Osborn, 32, was on her annual pilgrimage from Durham with daughter Ellie, 14. Justine said: 'I can't believe it. We absolutely love Whitby.
'We come back every year even though we possibly do the same things. We would still be doing those same things even if it was raining.
'We love the hustle and bustle. It is just such a nice place and always busy. We could never think of it as boring.
'There is so much to do here whether it is raining or not.
Fred Fleming, 61, and wife Pat, 55, had travelled from Belfast. He said: 'We are not bothered about a bit of rain. It rains every day in Belfast anyway.
'We have coming here for years and love it. The place does not need water parks and casinos. It is family orientated and there is so much history here.
Accompanying them on their regular holiday, were Fred Fleming, 33, and Fred Fleming jnr, aged five. Fred snr said: 'No way is it boring.
'I find that a real shocker. Fred jnr loves the beach, the fish and chips, and the amusement arcades.
'Then there is all the historic churches, the shops and local colour to keep us entertained.'
Visitors to Filey seafront were also outraged by the survey's findings.
'I love Filey. We have come ever since we were little kids,' said Ebony Frankland, from Nottinghamshire.
'I cannot think of anywhere else we went to as children. It is so dog friendly too. So I am surprised.
'A lot of people come here with their dogs or kids. So they can go into the amusements and that is all they need.
'Filey is a little coastal town and people love it because it is so quiet. There is not the space or infrastructure here for casinos or water parks so it would not mark sense.'
Stephanie Louis, 38, was taking son Miles, aged seven, to Filey where she has been coming since she was a child.
She said: 'I like that it is off the beaten track and not too touristy. It is unspoiled. I came here as a child and it still looks more or less the same as it did then.
'How many other places can say that?
Asked by his mother what he thinks of Filey, Louis chirped up: 'I think it's great. I think I am gong to stay here and live here. I would not get bored.'
Derek and Sylvia Thulborn, aged 85 and 81, were also enjoying Filey and ironically were heading to Whitby for the next stage of their holiday.
They both preferred the traditional charm of Filey and Whitby to the brasher vibe of resorts like Scarborough.
Derek said: 'We went to Scarborough yesterday and found it a little bit mad. We have only been in Filey three hours and we love it.
'Scarborough has lost its charm with everyone walking up and down with a glass of beer in their hand.
'The young nowadays do like a lot of action and excitement but we are more old fashioned and more your Downton Abbey sort of person.
'People expect too much these days. I am a Heartbeat fan too so I have love the whole area.'
Sylvia added: 'Filey has a lovely beach and we like strolling along the prom or wandering through the nice gardens.
'It is our kind of place and so is Whitby where we are going next.'
Sian Allsop, 27, from Worksop, was having a meal at a seafront cafe with twins Harper and Willow, aged six, and four year old Jack.
Sian said: 'Filey as a nice as it is. You can go to Scarborough if you want to go to a casino. The beach is clean here and that is all we need.'
They were accompanied by Megan Allsop-Wood, 30, and her little girls Marne, two, and Aria, four.
Megan, from Durham, said it was family tradition, adding: 'We have come here for years. Our parents came here as kids too - and so did their parents.'
