Unlike Herne Bay, Whitstable, the "Pearl of Kent", has a far longer history. It existed well before the Roman invasion and it's oysters, still fished for today, were considered a particular delicacy by the Italian overlords. Many of the town's restaurants and pubs will offer oysters on their menus. As with most coastal regions, the sea has provided a vital source of income for Whitstable down the years. The busy harbour provides testament to this still. |
Whitstable's name has changed at least four times, according to records. The name comes from "the meeting place of the White Post" (commonly used as a landmark). It has been known as:
- Witenestaple (1086)
- Witstapel (1184)
- Whitstapl' (1226)
- Whitstable (1610)
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Seasalter gets it's name from another old local business. This area, west of the main town, was once used as a extraction source for sea salt. The sea was kept in shore based enclosures and the water evaporated to leave the sea salt for collection. In the Domesday Book, Seasalter is referred to as a "little borough belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury's Kitchen". |
Joe Public vs. the Customs men
As with many coastal towns, Whitstable has had it's share of smugglers (and associated stories). This applied to lots of towns on the coast where the smugglers would attempt to bring boats of contraband in to one of the beaches or creeks along the coast, trying to avoid the Cutstoms men. There was once a chain of alleys and houses directly associated with the practice. Houses with secret chambers and lookout points, and alleys with wonderful names such as Squeeze Gut Alley and Cut Throat Lane. |
Towards Wraik Hill, to the south of the town is an area that was stalked by the great dog of Whitstable, allegedly a terrible beast that would kill lone travellers then disappear without trace. Tales of this animal would become more fantastic as the story developed, whereas in truth, it was unlikely to be more than murder disguised as fantasy. Probably. I'm not prepared to walk along Wraik Hill by myself each night to disprove it, you understand. |
The Sea Cadet Corps
Whitstable is home to the oldest Sea Cadet unit in the world. Unit 363, TS "Vigilant" in Bonners Alley (off the High Street by the Somerfield supermarket), was originally formed as the Whitstable Drum and Fife Corps. The unit has always had a strong membership and holds many pleasant personal memories for me, when I was an active member and lead bugler during the mid 70's. The cadets get to experience a wide variety of activities, from drilling, seamanship, sailing, boat pulling (rowing, to land lubbers), a marching band and all that good stuff. |
The "Crab & Winkle" Line
More accurately the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway Line, this ran between the coast and Canterbury from May 1830 until it's closure in 1952, a casualty of dubious engineering principles and ultimately Dr Beeching's nationalization programme. Hit the link to see more. |
Notable Residents
One of Whitstable more noted residents was the actor Peter Cushing. A genuine lover of the town, he lived in Wavecrest until his death in 1994. I often saw him cycle past the garage where I was working in my youth. There is a small memorial point, "Cushing's View", near the harbour, that looks north out to sea and westward along the coast towards Faversham Creek. |
