Often quoted in the colour supplements as an up and coming place were property prices are booming, there certainly seems to have been a lot of money poured into property improvements and developments in Whitstable in recent years.
Good thing too, as there still appear to be a fair few properties that are in need of some love and attention.
I lived in Whitstable for a while back in the early 70s. It's a lovely place, and "so close to London" as our next door neighbours enthused.
The Deck at Dead Man's Corner is a seating and occasional performance space, which was officially opened in May 2011.
The deck, which is shaped like the bow of a ship, was built next to the sheltered corner of the harbour were flotsam and jetsam tends to gather. Including, it is said, the bodies of those lost at sea.
The back wall, which partially masks the industrial area on the east side of the harbour, is made of shingle, with a 'tide line' of hundreds of ceramic pebbles made by local people.
It is supported by timber posts that are identical to those used in groynes along the seashore. All very clever.
In a gap between two houses on Island Wall, looking rather sorry for herself, sits the last remaining Oyster Yawl in Whitstable, the Favourite.
She was built in 1890 for Edward Carden, the landlord of the Fisherman's Arms (now 34 Island Wall), and had a working life of 54 years.
It came to an end in 1944 when she was fired on by a German fighter plane, and beached just yards from where she was built. She was later moved to her current home.
This extraordinary creation is a tribute to the development of the diving helmet. To quote the nearby display panel:
Whitstable is also where the development of the diving helmet took place in the 1820s and the divers here were once very successful. The proof of this is still evident; all of the houses in Dollar Row, on Island Wall, were paid for with silver dollars salvaged by the Whitstable divers
It is mounted on the back of a bench, and provides a fine 'photo opportunity' for those brave enough to stick their heads inside.
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