UK's BEST Seaside Towns (Herne Bay, Kent)

Herne Bay, Kent

 

I fell in love with beach huts at Herne Bay. Watching their pointed shadows march along the shingle back in 1998 inspired me to pursue a career as a seaside historian. Though Herne Bay has long played second fiddle to neighbouring Whitstable, on a recent visit I see it has undergone some impressive improvements.

The Georgian clock tower that dominates the promenade is looking spruce, and the playground next to the beach is a hit with my children. Stepping into the enclosed bandstand felt like stepping back into the 1930s and amid the art-deco details, Makcari’s ice-cream parlour is the perfect place to stop for refreshment.

The pier was once the third-longest in the country but these days its seaward end is an island of iron marooned in the Thames estuary. Its landward end, however, has been revived, with beach hut-style retail and craft units, and its railings yarn-bombed with a joyful parade of nautical knits. The Oyster and Chop House on the High Street specialises in locally caught lobster, or for a touch of London-on-sea, try the Herne Bay Traditional Pie and Mash (72 Central Parade).

Stay: Evening Tide Guesthouse on the seafront, opposite the bandstand, has doubles from £79 B&B.
Kathryn Ferry, author of Sheds on the Seashore: A Tour through Beach Hut History

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