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Seven miles
from Canterbury lies this delightful
and popular harbour town. Known as the
`Pearl of Kent’, Whitstable
is famous for its oysters and other seafood as well as a vibrant contemporary
arts scene.
The pretty weatherboarded cottages, wind ing
lanes with eccentric names - `Squeeze Gut Alley’ is one - recall Whitstable’s
rich maritime history. And present-day events, such as the International
Waterski Championship, Whitstable Oyster Festival and Thames Barge Regatta,
draw crowds throughout the summer.
A vibrant
contemporary arts scene has led to the growth of colourful craft shops
in the town, especially in Harbour Street, where a more original souvenir
of your stay can be found. A local theatre, the Whitstable Playhouse in
the High Street, stages a variety of productions and, near the beach,
the Imperial Oyster Cinema in the Horsebridge, is housed within an old
oyster warehouse, still with wood-panelled walls. Stroll along the Saxon
Shore Way and the cliff-top lawns of Tankerton Slopes, with their colourful
wooden beach huts and perfect views of `The Street’ - a narrow shingle
ridge stretching ½ mile out to sea at low tide.
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