Hampton is on the quieter, western end of the town. It has a small pier by the yachting club and TS Triumph, the Headquarters for Herne Bay Sea Cadets. Hampton has a couple of car parks and the "Trim Trail", a little running track with simple obstacles and exercise bars, aimed at adults and children alike. There are also a number of slipways for boats. Sailing, skiing and jet-skiing are all popular here. A number of sections of inshore waters are marked out specifically for these activities. If it gets a little cold, you can always pop into the Hampton Inn for a warming nip. This was formerly the "Hampton Oyster Inn" and is now another Shepherd Neame pub.

Hampton's history
The original Hampton pier was built in 1863 as part of an enterprise called the "Herne Bay, Hampton & Reculver Oyster Fishery". This covered the stretch of coastline froom Swalecliffe right up to Reculver. The company got official recognition once it was founded by Parliament on 25 July 1864. A 350 yard pier was built as the landing point for oyster smacks (fishing boats) and had a railway line, the Hampton Oyster Railway, that connected to the main line railway, some ¾ mile away.

When it existed as a "village", Hampton consisted only of a dozen cottages, specifically built by the company for it's employees, plus an inn. However, Mother Nature being who she is, eventually aided the collapse of the housing, as the construction of the pier caused an increase in the local beach erosion.The original pier curved westwards. Again, the tides gradually eroded the old pier and it can only be seen at low tide. The local authority rebuilt the coast point of the pier, leaving the old one to the mercy of the elements.

When the company closed (after about 10 years), the rail tracks were taken away. The first sign of there having been a railway is at the junction of Hampton Pier Avenue and Sea Street/Whitstable Road. Here there is the old railway embankment and a couple of railway buildings, now private houses, and a disused railway shed.

Apparently, the mainline railway station used to be called "Herne Bay and Hampton-On-Sea", presumably because the fishery owners wanted to promote their area as a resort separate to the main town. However, Hampton became a purely residential area, whilst Herne Bay developed into the seaside resort.