Whitstable
For over two thousand years this part of the Thames coast has been associated with the sea. The story of the town’s maritime heritage, the invention of the diving helmet, smuggling, shipbuilding, fishing, particularly oysters is told in the Whitstable Museum and Gallery. Throughout the year you can see Whitstable’s working harbour in action; watch the catch unloaded, browse in the fish market and eat at one of the popular local seafood restaurants. The first passenger railway in the world ran from Canterbury to London via Whitstable harbour. Nicknamed the Crab & Winkle Line, it passed through one of England’s oldest forests, The Blean. The route is now part of national cycle route one, with picnic glades at the old winding ponds in Clowes Wood.
May Day celebrations in Whitstable are a must, with processions from the castle and through the town, with traditional Morris dancing and ‘Jack in the Green’, the woodland spirit. In July the town commemorates its annual Oyster Festival. In October you can see and buy the work of Whitstable’s many artisans in Artists Open House Trail, although an original souvenir of your visit may be found at anytime of the year in the colourful shops.
Must see and do
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