swim, see, walk, shop
things to see & do
Whitstable Museum, 5a Oxford Street
This place is magical. Lots of hands on kids’ activities, plus lovely friendly volunteers. whitstablemuseum.org
Whitstable Castle, 15 Tower Hill
You can pay for a guided tour around the castle or just hang out in the yummy café, which has lots of outdoor seating overlooking the beautiful grounds. There’s a playground for kids. whitstablecastle.co.uk
Whitstable Swimming Pool, Tower Parade
It’s a small pool and normally very quiet. On Sundays from 2-4pm the pool is filled with inflatables, a must! activelifeltd.co.uk
Ten pin bowling, Tower Parade
Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay
Wildwood has over 200 native animals set in 40 acres of beautiful ancient woodland. There is an amazing adventure playground with Kent's biggest drop slide, as well as tube slide, wild fort, tree-top towers and more. wildwoodtrust.org
Margate (30 mins by car / 20 mins by train)
Two very good reasons to go: the retro 1950s theme park Dreamland (Dreamland.co.uk) and the art gallery Turner Contemporary (turnercontemporary.org). Scott’s Furniture Mart, ‘an Emporium of everything Antique, Old Fashioned and Unusual’, is also worth a visit (scottsmargate.co.uk).
Canterbury (25 mins by car / 30 mins by train)
There’s plenty to see in Canterbury – Canterbury Cathedral (canterbury-cathedral.org), Canterbury Tales Museum (canterburytales.org.uk) Canterbury Roman Museum (canterburymuseums.co.uk) and and the Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, which is an art gallery, library and café (canterburymuseums.co.uk/beaney/).
There’s also The Goods Shed at the station, (thegoodsshed.co.uk). An all-day restaurant overlooking the daily market, with its own bakery, butchery, fishmonger, cheese specialist, vodka bar, beer shop, and an open kitchen. Most things are sourced locally and they have an excellent black board that displays their prices to show how much cheaper they are than the big supermarkets. Brilliant in the evening for a nice dinner and wine.
walks
Whitstable to Herne Bay (1.5 hrs one way. Return by train)
Get onto the beach at the end of Nelson Road and turn right. Follow the Saxon Shore Way all the way along the coastline. See more beach huts than you thought feasibly possible and end up in the pleasant Herne Bay. The seafront has penny arcades and the usual faded glamour of a British seaside town, but things get more interesting in the streets behind. Before you leave the seafront, visit what’s believed to be one of the earliest purpose built, free standing clock towers and of course the pier.
Whitstable to Faversham (Estimated 2 hrs one way)
Get onto the beach at the end of Nelson Road and turn left.
Whitstable to Canterbury
Follow the old railway line called the Crab and Winkle Way.
White Horse Country Park (15 mins drive from Whitstable)
This is a nice easy walk. The view is breath-taking and so is the wind as you are on the top of the hill. There are ruins scattered around the park. It’s a circular walk that will get kids running up and down the hills. kent.gov.uk
Canterbury Westgate Parks river walk (20 mins drive from Whitstable)
You can walk/bike all along the river from Westgate Parks in Canterbury to Chartham. Start at Westgate Gardens, go through the brilliant playground “Toddler Cove” and continue along the river path. Keep walking until you reach Chartham. Have a pub lunch and take the train back. It’s very pretty and in the summer you can wade into the river at the shallow sand banks. The water is incredibly clear and you can see the fishes. canterbury.gov.uk & westgateparks.co.uk
shopping
Whitstable has plenty of small independent shops, from clothes to food, vinyl and books. Here are some of our favourites.
Frank, 65 Harbour Street
Beautiful designer objects, books and prints. Leave the kids on the beach! Frankworks.eu
Flory and Black, 54 Harbour Street
Quirky stuff for your home. floryandblack.com
Union House, 14 Harbour Street
Stylish homeware. theunionhouse.co.uk
Scandinavian Touch, 66 Oxford Street
One for lovers of Scandi design.
Warehams, 68 Oxford Street
Antique garden ornaments and furniture. warehams.com
The Horsebridge Centre, 11 Horsebridge Road
Charming local arts and crafts centre. Horsebridge-centre.org.uk
Whitstable Harbour Market
For locally made arts and crafts, plus you can pick up something delicious to eat from one of the micro-eateries there. harbourmarketwhitstable.co.uk
Toys and Trends, 79 High Street
Where our children spend all their pocket money…toysntrends.com
Kites & Things, 3 Oxford Street
Lovely toy shop.
Spoon Web, 39 Oxford Street
One for older kids – comic books, DVDs, collectibles and (in the shop’s own words) “general nerd swag.”
Buttercup, 16 Harbour Street
Cute clothes and toys for the little people in your life. buttercupwhitstable.co.uk
HoneyKanes, 23 Harbour Street
Traditional sweet shop. whitstablesweetshop.co.uk
The Offy, 5 High Street
An off-license (get your local beers here) AND a sweet shop – think pear drops, bon bons and giant lollipops….
The Fabric Shop, 46a Harbour Street
A treasure trove for people who like to make things. thefabricshopwhitstable.co.uk
The Whiting Post, 57 Harbour Street
If you like colourful frocks and homeware with a vintage vibe, this is your place. thewhitingpost.com
Anchors Aweigh Vintage, 63 Harbour Street
Vintage clothes and nick knacks.
Taking the Plunge, 26 High St
Gift shop full of new and vintage gems.
Harbour Books, 21 Harbour Street
Books galore, and lots of stationary and cards as well.
Oxford Street Books, 20a Oxford Street
A cavernous second hand book shop (there’s a basement full of books too). A must visit for book lovers, we’ve found some real treasures there. oxfordstreetbooks.com
If vinyl is your thing, go and have a browse at Rock Bottom Records (37a Harbour Street) and Gatefield Sounds (70b High Street).
If you’re looking for a bargain, there are lots of charity shops on the High Street.
For food shopping, you can get fresh food and veg from Staines Farm Shop (61 High Street), meat from Jim’s Family Butchers (99-101 High St) and, for fish and oysters, a trip to Whitstable Fish Market (South Quay, The Harbour) is a must. Indeed it is worth a visit even if you don’t want to buy anything.
There is a Co-op a few minutes’ walk from the house – turn right at the end of Nelson Road (58-60 Oxford Street). There is also a Sainsbury’s (44 High Street).