Introducing Whitstable

Perhaps it’s for the oysters, harvested since Roman times… Maybe it’s for the weatherboard houses and shingle beach… Perhaps it’s for the pleasingly old-fashioned main street with its petite galleries, been-there-forever outfitters and emporia of vintage frillies… But, most likely, it’s for all of these reasons and more that Whitstable has become a weekend mecca for metropolitans, looking for an easy escape from the city hassle. Between waves of Londoners, the town lapses back into fishing-town mode, with a busy harbour and ice-chilled fish market supplying Kent’s restaurants. Steadfast locals also play their part in keeping things authentic, with assorted campaigns in recent years preventing some of the biggest retail names from setting up shop, thus preserving the town's eccentric, artisanal air.