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Development of Tower Parade
In our Chat Column for w/c 7/7/08 (click
here to view), we featured a postcard of Tower
Parade provided by Dave Jordan. It was taken
at the time of a major sea flood in 1897 and it caused quite a bit
of discussion as to how that bit of roadway developed.
Now, we can take an even more detailed look
thanks to three more postcards kindly sent to us by Jean
Martin. It is quite a coincidence that we should be
placing these in a Chat Column that also contains a substantial
page dealing with a nearby section of the Canterbury &
Whitstable.... because there is a very clear connection. I
will take the postcards in chronological order and try to link
everything together!
Jean's first contribution shows a very bleak
scene looking towards the Castle which can just be seen peeping
from the trees in the distance....
As we have pointed out in the draft railway article (on page 2
of this week's Chat Column), the road was called Harbour Road at
that time and it was built on an old sea wall. The tranquil scene
is a considerable contrast to the industrial hubbub that was
almost certainly taking place behind the photographer. Just a few
yards away, the Canterbury and Whitstable line crossed the roadway
and entered the harbour via a level crossing. Passengers alighted
at the then railway station - located just inside the
harbour gate on the west side.
Our railway article makes the point that the Tower Parade and
Beach Walk areas developed as a leisure area - partly due to day
trippers arriving by rail from Canterbury. However, although the
line was opened in 1830, it had not had a major impact on the area
by 1880! There were of course amusements, shellfish stalls and tea
huts along the nearby beach but, a few yards inland, little had
happened. Harbour Road pretty much petered out at the Castle gate
and there were no buildings on the raised section of Tower Parade.
Now we can move on to Jean's second card.... dated 1897....
In the distance, you can see that the simple Castle gate of
1880 had been replaced by the impressive gatehouse of the current
day. It was set further back to accommodate a new road (now Tower
Hill) leading to Tankerton Slopes. The raised footpath is now
supported by a concrete wall with metal railings and much of it is populated by properties. The houses on the right arrived first
(in 1890) and were later converted to shops. The shops to the left
were probably added between 1893 and 1897 as purpose built retail
establishments. Notice that there is still no real development on
the left (ie the seaward side of the road).
Why was it all delayed until the 1890s? Well, maybe it was a
case of changing attitudes towards beaches in late Victorian
times... with the sea becoming recognised as a healthy place to be
- away from the grime of urban areas. On the other hand, perhaps
some people had acquired some cash from the empire and industrial
revolution!
Whatever the reason, the area continued to prosper through to
the 1920s.... and that brings us on to Jean's final postcard...
It was taken from the opposite direction and shows a smart
and thriving Tower Parade.... in those Roaring 20s.
The large Victorian
houses are now shops and the northern side of the road has also
been developed - with shops and amusement arcades swirling round
into Beach Walk.
However, the picture also provides some warning signs of a
future downturn for the area. The motor car had arrived -
heralding the beginning of the end for passenger services on the
C&W Railway and opening the way for people to sample the
delights of more distant and more remote day trip
locations. The last rail passengers arrived from Canterbury in
1930.
The Harbour Level Crossing
Jean's 1920s postcard enables us to take a look
at the level crossing area of the old railway line.... by way of
an enlarged extract....
The level crossing gate is clearly visible at
the entrance to the harbour. Inside this, the old railway
station can be seen. This was the second of three stations and
it served passengers from 1846 to 1895. Thus by the time the
photo was taken it had been replaced by a newer station on
land on the opposite side of the road (now occupied by the Youth
Centre and Whitstable Health Centre).
I am afraid I am not sure about the building
marked "?????". I expected to see a signal box in that
position... but that doesn't look like a signal box!!!!
Daniels &
Collar....
I have always said that most of our permanent
articles will eventually be linked together. Here is just another
example. Over the years, we have often found ourselves talking
about the Daniels and Collar families in connection with a wide
range of maritime and land based enterprises. Below Jean provides
some more fascinating details...
| Fanny Daniels had her first shop in Tower Parade with
her sister. Then Kit Collar bought the sister's
share.
They must have been one of the first traders there. By
1904'ish, they had moved to 100, High Street, Whitstable.
Jean Martin |
The High Street shop became quite a well known
establishment for many of our more senior readers as I believe
it was the Daniel & Collar toy shop. The premises later
became Underdown's menswear. It is now a Thai restaurant.
More on Dave's
Flood Photo....
Finally, we return to the photo that sparked all
of these discussions..... Dave Jordan's 1897 Tower Parade flood
photo....
When we featured it in our Chat column for week
commencing 7/7/08, I suggested that the damaged building was
probably some kind of cafe as it had the word "ICES"
marked on its roof. I also asked where it had come from.
Jean's 1897 postcard seems to confirm that there
were no premises along the northern edge of Tower Parade at that
time. Thus, it seems likely that the floodwater had carried it
some distance... possibly from as far away as the beachside or Beach Walk. This prompted Jean Martin to recall some interesting
details of a well known tea room....
| I have recently found out the Mr. Offredi's tea room had
shelves lined with glass cages stuffed with birds, all
having been caught by Mr. Thurston of Thurston Park. Just
a bit of Whitstable trivia!
Jean Martin |
Mr Thurston has featured in quite a few past
discussions on Simply Whitstable. As Jean has explained, he owned the land on which Thurston Park was built and he
was quite a character. Having spent some time in the Middle
East, he brought home quite a few trinkets.... and fashions. On
occasions, he could be seen around Whitstable dressed in Arab
attire.
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