A quaint, seaside town hugging England’s south-east coast, Whitstable’s colourful weatherboard houses and historic town centre have made it a photographer’s mecca with excellent food, art and shopping to boot. Read on to discover the best places to capture the authentic charm of Whitstable. Words by Rosa Brennan.
With its colourful wooden huts and grassy, sloping banks of the Marine Parade, Tankerton Beach is a photographer’s dream. Its tranquil waters are an ideal spot for swimming in the warmer months, and at low tide you can enjoy ‘The Street’, a natural path that takes you right out to sea – ideal for paddling and exploring rock pools and sea life. Make sure you stick around for one of Whitstable’s gorgeous amber sunsets.
A meander around Whitstable’s working harbour is an essential part of any tourist’s checklist. Simply watch the world go by as fisherman set sail, enjoy a wander around the harbour village, or try the fresh seafood on offer including the world famous Whitstable oyster. If that’s not enough jump aboard the Greta, a historic Thames sailing barge built in 1892 to transport cargo on the River Thames and the Thames Estuary.
Known for its cobblestone streets, pretty boutiques and shop fronts, Whitstable’s Harbour Street is often named the most instagrammable town in England. Visitors come from far and wide for a stroll, a browse, and a look at the buildings which, unchanged for more than a hundred years, retain a special charm. There is an abundance of gift stores, such as Flory & Black, plus antique shops with unique, artisanal wares. And the prices are very reasonable, at around a quarter of what you’d pay in London.
With names like Squeeze Gut Alley, the Old Favourite, and Coastguard’s Alley, Whitstable’s many quaint alleyways are not only a great place to snap a few pictures, but an authentic glimpse into the town’s history. The multitude of alleys (which splay out from the High Street) once served as convenient escape routes for smugglers as Whitstable was, like most Kentish coastal towns, awash with the illegal tobacco and spirits trade.
No visit to Whitstable would be complete without a pitstop at Wheelers Oyster Bar. For more than 150 years, Wheelers has served the freshest of seafood to locals and visitors. Winning numerous awards and even publishing its own award winning recipe book, Wheelers, now run by Delia Fitt and Mark Stubbs, has become world famous for its food and simple, traditional atmosphere. Widely regarded as one of the U.K.’s best fish restaurants, the world famous Wheelers Oyster Bar in the heart of Whitstable also serves a variety of meat dishes, perfect for refuelling after a day exploring on foot.
