] Is it me, or has anyone else noticed....

] 1) a more menacing atmosphere, both meteorological and literary

] 2) More descriptions of countryside a la Radcliffe,

] 3) Catherine being removed from all the familiarity of family and old friends,

] Abd what do you think of the Abbey? Is the abbey everything it ought to be, or was Catherine being unrealistic in expecting a high prominence, dense woods, etc, etc,?

Yes, there is an increase in that, but JA is continually grounding us (and "poor" Catherine) in reality. For example, Catherine is surprised to find herself passing through the great gates of the lodge into the very grounds of Northanger, without having discerned even an antique chimney. The breeze she feels is a normal breeze, not seeming to waft the sighs of the murdered to her. She is further disappointed to note that the windows to which she looked with peculiar dependence, [...] were yet less what her fancy had portrayed. To be sure, the pointed arch was preserved [...] but every pane was so large, so clear, so light! To an imagination which had hoped for the smallest divisions, and the heaviest stone-work, for painted glass, dirt, and cobwebs, the difference was very distressing.

Also, the lovely picture the lovely Henry paints for Catherine is a further reminder that stories like that, 99.9% of the time, are in fact just stories.