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NEIGHBOURING TOWNS:
Canterbury, Herne Bay and Faversham

POSITION:
Whitstable is located on the northeast Kent coast. The town lies to the east of the outlet of The Swale into the Thames Estuary. It is approximately 2 miles west of the seaside town of Herne Bay, approximately 5 miles northeast of Faversham and approximately 5 miles north of the cathedral city of Canterbury.

HISTORY:
Archaeological finds indicate that the Whitstable area was inhabited during the Palaeolithic era, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. The town was first recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086, under the name Witenestaple, meaning ‘the meeting place of the white post’, which referred to a local landmark. By 1226 the name of the area had evolved into Whitstaple and by 1610 the name had changed to the current one - Whitstable.

INTERESTING FACTS:
Whitstable is famous for its oysters, which have been collected in the area since at least Roman times. It is very popular with tourists and its maritime heritage is celebrated with the annual oyster festival. In 1830 one of the earliest passenger railway services was opened by the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway Company. In 1832 the company opened Whitstable harbour and extended the line to enable passage to London from the port. The railway has since closed but the harbour still plays an important role in the town’s economy.

ROAD AND RAIL LINKS:
Whitstable railway station is on the Chatham main line, which runs between Ramsgate in East Kent and London Victoria. It is about 1 hour and 20 minutes from London by the fast service. A National Express coach service runs between London Victoria and Ramsgate. On weekdays during the morning and evening peaks, there is a direct rail service to London’s Cannon Street station, provided primarily for business commuting. There is a Stagecoach bus service running about every fifteen minutes to neighbouring Herne Bay and Canterbury, where many Whitstable residents go to work and shop. The A299 road, known as the Thanet Way, runs between Ramsgate and Faversham via Herne Bay and Whitstable and merges with the M2 motorway at Faversham.

SHOPS:
Numerous specialist and independent shops. Also many of the big high street names including the super market chains.

SERVICES:
Police, fire and ambulance stations, post office, library, opticians, garages, petrol stations, hairdressers, chiropodists, local radio station KMF, four local newspapers and much, much more.

SCHOOLS:
Whitstable’s secondary school is The Community College (please set up link to Ofsted).  There is a wide variety of nursery schools, play groups and primary schools in the area, some of which are church schools.

DOCTORS AND DENTISTS:
Numerous NHS and private.

CLUBS:
Whitstable Town Football Club and Whitstable Rugby Club. The Whitstable Yacht club is one of the oldest yacht clubs in England. Numerous other clubs for all ages.

LEISURE FACILITIES:
Playhouse Theatre, The Horsebridge Arts and Community Centre, The Whitstable Museum and Gallery , Whitstable/Tankerton Castle and grounds. The town claims the largest village green in England (47 acres). Whitstable council-owned swimming pool and sports centre with facilities for badminton, short tennis, 5-a-side football, volleyball, cricket and tennis. A 10 pin bowling centre and  an outdoor basketball court.

PUBS/RESTAURANTS:
There are a large selection of pubs and restaurants catering for all tastes.

SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE:
Numerous picturesque villages and seaside towns with lovely walks and views are just a short drive away.

updated 20th December 2010