{"id":37,"date":"2021-10-01T15:32:30","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T13:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=99447"},"modified":"2021-10-12T17:35:26","modified_gmt":"2021-10-12T15:35:26","slug":"gothic-days-out-for-halloween","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/gothic-days-out-for-halloween\/","title":{"rendered":"Gothic days out for Halloween"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Karen Ruffles\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 01 October 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Wild and remote landscapes, uneasy characters, and an ominous sense of supernatural influence: gothic literature has retained its place in today\u2019s goth subculture. And without it, we may never have eventually ended up with black lipstick, occult symbolism or the Cure. Why not indulge your inner raven on a day out in one of the UK\u2019s best gothic locations?<\/p>\n

Autumnal weather helps: moody clouds add the foreboding atmosphere that\u2019s always there both in the music and the novels. (After all, Heathcliff didn\u2019t stride out to find Cathy on a sunny Yorkshire afternoon.)<\/p>\n

The good news is that if you\u2019re reading this, you\u2019re probably already wearing the appropriate heavy footwear. All you need now is a flask of hot tea, your favourite Robert Smith album cued up and you\u2019re ready for an adventure on the dark side. Here\u2019s our pick of the best gothic days out in the UK.<\/p>\n

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Whitby, Yorkshire<\/strong><\/p>\n

\""Whitby\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Whitby Goth weekend is a central event on the UK goth scene. \/Picture credit: Rahman Hassani\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The number one gothic location in the UK, Whitby was of course the key setting in Bram Stoker\u2019s Dracula<\/em>. Poke about in the gothic abbey<\/a> that inspired the book, go for a guided walk<\/a> through its winding lanes and passageways to discover local legends or attend (pandemic allowing) the Whitby Goth Weekend<\/a>, which incorporates the Bizarre Bazaar<\/a> where you can stock up on faded Victoriana.<\/p>\n

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Jamaica Inn, Cornwall<\/strong><\/p>\n

\""The\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The world famous Jamaica Inn.\/Credit: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The famous windswept Jamaica Inn<\/a> on Bodmin Moor inspired Daphne du Maurier\u2019s famous novel after she stayed there in 1930. The story goes that she went out riding with a friend and then a sudden mist came down, causing them to get lost. It was growing dark, so they dismounted and hoped their horses would lead them back again. Luckily for us they did, and she stayed at the Inn for the next few days to recover, which is when she discovered the smuggling history of the place and found the inspiration for her renowned novel. The inn has a museum dedicated to the author, and you can even stay in a haunted room, if you\u2019re brave enough.<\/p>\n

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Haworth, West Yorkshire<\/strong><\/p>\n

\""Haworth\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Haworth Village, the birthplace of the famous Bronte Sisters on May 4, 2011 in Haworth, West Riding of Yorkshire. \/Credit: Christopher Furlong\/Getty Images.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The moors around Haworth were the inspiration for\u00a0Wuthering Heights, the haunted house at the heart of Emily Bront\u00eb\u2019s tempestuous classic novel. The Bront\u00eb Parsonage museum<\/a> library, housed in the stone cottage that was the Bront\u00ebs\u2019 family home, contains the world\u2019s largest collection of letters, manuscripts, poetry and early editions of the sisters\u2019 novels. Haworth<\/a> is a pretty town, and the path next to the parsonage is the starting point for an atmospheric walk through the village and out into the South Pennines.<\/p>\n

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Mary Shelley\u2019s House of Frankenstein, Bath\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

\""BATH,\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Bath, Somerset. \/Credit: Chris Gorman\/Getty Images.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The 1816 gothic masterpiece Frankenstein<\/em> was written in Bath, so where better to open a museum that celebrates both its author and the cultural impact of the book. Mary Shelley\u2019s House of Frankenstein<\/a> also contains a laboratory-themed Escape Room. Contains \u2018some scenes of a disturbing nature\u2019.<\/p>\n

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Leeds Castle Maze and Grotto<\/strong><\/p>\n

\""Maze\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The maze at Leeds Castle is shaped like a queen\u2019s crown when viewed from above.\/Credit: Leeds Castle.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Is there anything more beguiling and romantic than getting lost in a maze? The maze at Leeds Castle in Kent<\/a> is one of the country\u2019s best kept, and there\u2019s a fantastically atmospheric underground grotto to explore on the way out. Inside the castle, soak up the gothic fantasy of the grand Banquet Hall, music room and French newel staircase in the courtyard.<\/p>\n

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Avebury, Wiltshire <\/strong><\/p>\n

\""Country\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The Red Lion public house in the centre of Avebury stone circle in Wiltshire\/Credit: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

This tiny village includes the largest megalithic stone circle in the world. Nearby West Kennet Long Barrow<\/a> is amazing \u2013 a huge late stone age burial chamber you can go sit in \u2013 yes, it\u2019s basically an underground cemetery. The village itself has a lovely gift shop<\/a> on the high street, filled with New Age artefacts such as crystals and tarot memorabilia, and the Red Lion pub<\/a> has uninterrupted views of the 6,000-year-old site.<\/p>\n

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Pendle Hill, Yorkshire<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\""View\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
View across farmland towards distant fells, looking towards Pendle Hill in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire \u00a9Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Rising above an ancient hunting ground, dramatic Pendle Hill<\/a> was once home to wild boar and wolves. It\u2019s also where the notorious Pendle Witch trials took place in 1612, which resulted in 12 women being tried and executed for witchcraft. These days it\u2019s a peaceful landscape dotted with hamlets and farms, and fantastic walking country with panoramic views. But to the discerning goth, it\u2019s an unholy pilgrimage.<\/p><\/body><\/html>\n

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By Karen Ruffles Published: Friday, 01 October 2021 at 12:00 am Wild and remote landscapes, uneasy characters, and an ominous sense of supernatural influence: gothic literature has retained its place in today\u2019s goth subculture. And without it, we may never have eventually ended up with black lipstick, occult symbolism or the Cure. Why not indulge […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":38,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2021\/10\/gothic-days-out-for-halloween.jpg",1024,683,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2021\/10\/gothic-days-out-for-halloween-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2021\/10\/gothic-days-out-for-halloween-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2021\/10\/gothic-days-out-for-halloween-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2021\/10\/gothic-days-out-for-halloween.jpg",800,534,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2021\/10\/gothic-days-out-for-halloween.jpg",1024,683,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2021\/10\/gothic-days-out-for-halloween.jpg",1024,683,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Karen Ruffles Published: Friday, 01 October 2021 at 12:00 am Wild and remote landscapes, uneasy characters, and an ominous sense of supernatural influence: gothic literature has retained its place in today\u2019s goth subculture. And without it, we may never have eventually ended up with black lipstick, occult symbolism or the Cure. Why not indulge…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/37"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}