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This magnificent shot of Whitstable harbour provides us with an opportunity to look at how the harbour lands have developed since the early 1950s. At that time, it was owned by British Rail and it was served served by the famous Canterbury & Whitstable rail line.

The enlarged extract below shows the West Quay in the foreground. 

This quay extends out from the area known as the West Head and it was added some time around the 1960s. It caused some controversy at the time....when it was rumoured that might be used for the export of livestock. In fact, it was occupied by the Westland Company and used for timber trade. In recent times, the West Quay appears to have struggled and now part of it serves as a boat park for local yachtsmen.

The East Quay is now largely devoted to the Bretts aggregate works and its substantial tower. However, older Natives will notice that the works has moved closer to the sea and now occupies part of the old promenade of Long Beach. It has also taken over the quayside areas that were heavily used by the sprat fishing boats and the Crescent Shipping line. For many years, the Crescent Line was involved in regular trade routes with Esbjerg using it's well known vessels - the Luminence and Resurgence.

The South Quay features in the extract below. 

It's a busy scene.... because the photo was taken during the week of the Oyster Festival. Increasingly, the quay is used for leisure/tourist activities and this is reflected in a number of current re-development proposals which, at the time of writing (August 2007), are being hotly debated!

Until the early 1950s, the lands stretching east towards Beach Walk were occupied by railway sidings. These were trimmed by Jacques and Jimmys amusement arcades along Beach Walk and Tower Parade. It's all very different now...

In 1958 (five years after the closure of the railway line), ownership of the harbour passed to the Whitstable Urban District Council and the land was developed piecemeal - seemingly with no overall theme. Early developments included Harbour Garage and the AMF Ten Pin Bowling Centre. These were accompanied by a development in the angle between the East Quay and Long Beach which at various times served as a fish canning factory and the Massmart wholesale warehouse. 

Later, the beach area became a popular location for water skiing and the Waterfront Club was added on land previously occupied by an old amusement arcade in Beach Walk (Jacques Arcade). Since then, the entire area has developed as a centre for recreation almost by deafault. The old canning factory site becoming an Indoor Green Bowls Centre and a public swimming pool has since been added along the remainder of the waterfront. 

The harbour lands also included a substantial area to the south of Harbour Street. These accommodated the rail track of the old line, a railway station and a heavily silted reservoir known as the 'backwater'. The old station was eventually demolished and the site redeveloped as a Health Centre, Whitstable Youth & Sailing Centre and the Oysters apartment complex. The backwater was given a concrete cover and now serves as the Gorrell Tank Car Park.