Once the haunt of smugglers, later a fashionable Victorian watering place, Herne Bay today is an hospitable seaside town, with safe beaches and good fishing and sailing waters, eight miles north of Canterbury.

Although the foundations of the present town were only laid about 150 years ago, Reculver, a few miles to the east, was the site of a Roman fort and Saxon church, mentioned in the Domesday Book.The twin towers of the church are situated within Reculver Country Park, which is a renowned spot for watching migrating birds and has an information centre which offers insights into the geology, history and wildlife of this stretch of coastline. The Saxon village of Herne is home to a traditional Kentish smock windmill, built in the late 18th century and open for visits.

In 1837, a wealthy Londoner gave Herne Bay its dinctive 80ft seafront Clock Tower and the town continued to develop as a holiday and residential centre. Herne Bay now is full of reminders of its changing character, from the earliest development plots near East Street to the imposing Georgian seafront terraces.

Today’s visitors choose the town for this historical charm, but also for the colourful and vibrant two-week summer festival. The town remains a popular destination for sailing and watersports - and fishing enthusiasts, too, with cod, bass and skate a common catch in the Bay’s waters.