The Screaming Tunnel
It's spooky season, and you may have noticed as we grow closer to Halloween that we've been ramping up the scary stories. First the tragic tale of Francis Lovell, now we're taking you back to our beloved Whitby for one of its most famous terrifying tourist traps.
Everyone who has ever visited Whitby is aware of The Screaming Tunnel below the Whale Bones. Dr Crank told us the terrifying story of the tunnel and how it got its name on our very first night there, but we want to look into why it exists before we go into local folklore.
Whitby is a fishing town, that is obvious for anyone to see, and it has always been the case. In 1839 George Hudson built a railway and station in Whitby which helped with trade massively as there was no decent roads leading through the North Yorkshire Moors, so trade was difficult until rail came to town. In turn this also turned Whitby into a seaside resort, so flocking to town in the good weathered months has been a thing since the 1800s, which is why we only visit in winter...
Now Hudson expanded and went from the railway to hotels, capitalising on the newfound seaside resort. He was even responsible for the Royal Crescent which is where Bram Stoker liked to stay. But time was of the essence for Hudson for some reason and so he decided to built a mini railway line to speed work along. This was then turned into a road as modern times closed in, but The Khyber Pass helped transport building materials up the cliff and the little railway included a tunnel, the Screaming Tunnel.
Hudson was later jailed for corruption and obviously the railway line was removed in favour for a road which is now a walkway up the cliff for those brave enough. But it was never named until local folklore stepped in.
Several locals started to report hearing screams whilst walking through the tunnel. Some said it was demons as the tunnel was used by the Devil, some said it was the dead calling from hell. Then reports came in of people seeing a dark figure at the end of the tunnel, some naming Satan himself. Then came disembodied hands touching those who braved the dark tunnel, and the association with the Devil grew until that infamous vampire came to town.
Following the success of Dracula, inspired by Stoker's time in Whitby, tourists and locals alike somehow linked the tunnel to the fictional bloodsucker. The screams became those made by the victims of the vampire, even though the tunnel was never mentioned.
Dr Cranks take on it which we thought 'yeah fair enough' was that the current screams heard was because the locals decided if they screamed as they went through the tunnel it would ward off any evil as would either scare any nasties lurking inside or at the other end, or trick them into thinking that someone was already being attacked so they could get away safely.
Whatever take you have on it, The Screaming Tunnel is massively associated with Whitby and firmly cemented within its gothic lore which is exactly why we've saved it for spooky season! We ventured through the tunnel in the dark and it was very unpleasant and we did it at a bit of a run, so try it if you dare!
DISCLAIMER: Now for the official bit. This blog does not receive any paid promotions from the places mentioned above. We have not been approached to promote or act as spokespersons for any attraction mentioned within this post and this is simply a post intended to act as a day in the life of a couple on a cute date. All photos included are taken by ourselves and as such the rights for these images are ours, no links, brands, or companies mentioned otherwise belong or are associated with Phantom Adventures UK. We are responsible only for this blog. Opinions are our own and not influenced by any third party source..
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