Whitstable Beach — Attraction in Canterbury

Whitstable (/ˈwɪtstəbəl/) is a town in the Canterbury district, on the north coast of Kent adjoining the convergence of the Swale Estuary and the Greater Thames Estuary in southeastern England, five miles (eight kilometres) north of Canterbury and two miles (three kilometres) west of Herne Bay. The 2011 Census reported a population of 32,100. The town, formerly known as Whitstable-on-Sea, was famous for its 'Native Oysters' which were collected from beds beyond the low water mark from Roman times until the mid-20th century. The annual Whitstable Oyster Festival takes place during the summer.

In 1830, one of the earliest passenger railway services was opened by the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway Company. In 1832 the company built a harbour and extended the line to handle coal and other bulk cargos for the City of Canterbury. The railway has closed but the harbour still plays an important role in the town's economy. The railway route, known as The Crab and Winkle Line, is now a cycle path which leads to the neighbouring city...

'She sells sea shells on the sea shore' - this is what a lot of locals living on verge of the beach do - from their gardens! Lemonade, cakes, nick backs, nautical paraphernalia and more. They enjoy literally living yards from the beach while making some money and chatting to passers by. And what a beach it is. Sand, not stones, incorporating the harbour and craft stalls. All these things merge into a gloriously sunny, balmy, lazy Sunday on one of the hottest days of the year. As the Kinks sang: 'Lazing on a Sunny afternoon, in the Summertime'. Whitstable beach is the perfect place to do just that. I'll finish with another song quote: 'Summertime and the...

It's not a sandy beach, it's more of a pebble beach. Very popular with families a couples. Children can do crabbing from the harbour and there were many families doing this during my visit. There are lots of places to eat on the seafront including an Oyster restaurant. Snacks, ice creams, chips, and full restaurant menus available. It's very lively in peak season as you would expect but also very beautiful off season. There is always something interesting going on. The harbour with fishing boats also has a lot of small vendors selling all types of stuff. Art work, gifts, speciality foods etc. A very busy and...