Herne Bay
Herne Bay maps (2 available)
Map of Kent
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Herne Bay books (12 available)
- 9 photos on Herne Bay appear in 3 Frith books - View photos of Herne Bay
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Herne Bay and Kent
Herne Bay memories
Read and share memories of Herne Bay and Kent inspired by Frith photos
pear tree farm
My dads family the "Boltons" lived on a farm called Pear Tree Farm. I thought from memory they owned it but now after research I think they just lived there as workers? I remember walking down a country lane not far from there and buying some wonderful flavoured ice creams such as "Tutty Frutie". I have alot of fond memories of Hernbay....
Contributed by hazel bolton
The Pier
I roller skated in the old pavilion - you could see the sea through the gaps in the floor boards!!
My brother bribed me to behave by the promise of an ice cream bought from the cafe at the end of the pier.
Contributed by Jean Dale
Send in the clowns!!
I remember being taken to see a clown here. I think his name might have been Coco. It is lovely that there are still children's entertainments in exactly the same spot! It's a roundabout and trampolines now though.
Contributed by Jean Dale
Kent memories
pear tree farm
My dads family the "Boltons" lived on a farm called Pear Tree Farm. I thought from memory they owned it but now after research I think they just lived there as workers? I remember walking down a country lane not far from there and buying some wonderful flavoured ice creams such as "Tutty Frutie". I have alot of fond memories of Hernbay....
A memory of Herne Bay contributed by hazel bolton
Extracts From Herne Bay & Kent books
Promenading in the afternoon, these late Victorians are out to see - and to be seen. A group of London businessmen founded the town in 1837. Hotels such as the Dolphin, right, did brisk business as the resort established a reputation for peace and quiet, plentiful sunshine and fresh, clean air, which was said to arrive untainted from the Arctic Circle.
An extract from from"Kent Revisited Photographic Memories".
The esplanade with its wide pavements proved an excellent place for exercise and recreation - goat carts (like the one on the left) were a common amusement at seaside resorts. During the Second World War the scientist Barnes Wallis experimented with his famous bouncing bomb along this stretch of the Channel.
An extract from from"Kent Revisited Photographic Memories".
It would not be possible
to take this photograph
today, as the pier was
destroyed by storms in
1979. However, there are
plans to try and build
another pier, which were
put forward in 2003.
An extract from from"Around the Kent Coast".
In February 1953 the Promenade was buried under thousands of tons of shingle, and the
roads blocked by smashed boats. All this was caused by the worst floods the county had
known, when a tidal surge broke through the sea defences.
An extract from from"Around the Kent Coast".
The impressive facade of the Hotel Metropole, with the Ship Hotel next door, faced the end
of the Jetty to greet the thousands of holidaymakers
who travelled down on the paddle steamers. In the
foreground is a ‘guess your weight’ machine, where
you only paid if the proprietor guessed your weight
correctly. He could do this by cleverly adjusting
the weights to his advantage. Six houses to the left
was the lodging house of Mrs Sophia Booth, where
J M W Turner stayed between 1827 and 1851. From
here he painted watercolours of golden sunsets over the
sea to the west and the misty dawns to the east.
Between 1939 and 1945 the Hotel Metropole and
surrounding properties were demolished as part of
the town’s Fort Road Improvement Scheme. The area
as it was before demolition can be seen in the aerial
photograph on pages 8-9.
Three acres of rundown cafes, souvenir shops and a
wooden arcade were cleared, and a new dual-carriageway
swept down the hill offering a clear panoramic view of the
sands and bay.
An extract from from"Margate Town and City Memories".