Met Gets Teeth Into Dracula's Old Haunt

Restoration work in the grounds of the iconic Whitby Abbey on the East Yorkshire coast has brought Met Surveys Ltd to one of the most infamous locations in English literature.

Met Surveys, a leading specialist in archaeological and heritage projects, has been commissioned by Pearce Bottomley Architects to conduct a topographical survey of the churchyard made famous in the Bram Stoker novel 'Count Dracula.'

The renowned 199 church steps, leading to the town's landmark historic parish church of St Mary's and Whitby Abbey, and the flagstones within the grounds are to undergo restoration to repair the wear and tear caused by the hundreds of thousands of visitors drawn over the last 200 years.

The survey was required to detail corner points of each individual flagstone within the churchyard so paths can be re-laid and flagstones repaired and repositioned in their original locations. The work is being funded by the people of Whitby with support from English Heritage.

The restoration programme, which began in June this year and is due to be completed in October, will also aid the Church Committee's bid to have the council take over the maintenance of the grounds.