Canterbury, Whitstable & Herne Bay

Destination

Canterbury is well known for its stunning Cathedral but this beautiful district has far more to offer. Alongside its rich heritage, Canterbury has a strong literary history with figures of interest including Chaucer, Marlowe and Mary Tourtel (creator of Rupert the Bear) to name but a few. The district features some stunning rural scenery as well as the seaside towns of Whitstable and Herne Bay. The delightful harbour town of Whitstable is famous for its oysters and superb restaurants. Nearby Herne Bay has developed from a fashionable Victorian holiday destination to a colourful and vibrant seaside town.

What's on Offer

Beach & Amenities

Whitstable has a long stretch of beach with a bay used for water sports and championships. There are beachfront pubs and a long promenade at Tankerton Slopes.
Herne Bay has long stretches of beach and ample parking. There are trampolines on the beach, mini golf on the seafront and a bandstand that is set in beautiful gardens. Herne Bay has three Seaside Awards. Further up the beach you can hunt for sharks teeth and fossils at Reculver Towers, the ruins of a Roman fort and Saxon church.

Places to Visit

CANTERBURY: Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, St Martin's Church, Museum of Canterbury, Roman Museum, West Gate Towers, Canterbury Tales, Greyfriars, Eastbridge Hospital, Historic River Tours, Canterbury Castle, Howletts Wild Animal Park.
WHITSTABLE: Whitstable Museum and Gallery, working harbour, Druidstone.
HERNE BAY: Herne Bay Museum, Herne Mill, Reculver Country Park, Wildwood.

Entertainment

CANTERBURY: Gulbenkian Theatre, Odeon Cinema.
WHITSTABLE: Whitstable Playhouse.
HERNE BAY: Bandstand, Little Theatre, Theatre in the Park, Kavanagh Cinema, Kings Hall.

Shopping

CANTERBURY: Mainly pedestrianised with many famous name stores and a host of independent specialist shops, plus Whitefriars shopping centre.
HERNE BAY: Pedestrianised shopping street with interesting independent traders, familiar high street names and busy family market on Saturday. WHITSTABLE: A winding main street with some high street shops, interesting boutiques and craft shops and a general market on Thursday.

Eating Out

There is a wide selection of excellent restaurants and pubs serving food throughout the district. Look out for the new 'Taste of' guides which list a wealth of restaurants.

Recreation & Sport

A selection of golf courses, sports centres, indoor swimming pools, indoor/outdoor bowling greens, tenpin bowling, cycling routes, sailing, boating, water-skiing, windsurfing, diving, go-karting, boat trips, punt rides and horse rides.

Conference & Business Facilities

Visit www.conferencecanterbury.co.uk.

Accommodation

Book online at www.canterbury.co.uk

Getting There

Road

M20 and M2 links - London 2 hrs.

Rail

London Victoria & Charing Cross 1.5 hours. The new high speed rail link from London to Canterbury West is only a 1 hour 5 minute journey.

Sea

Dover-Folkestone (Channel Tunnel), 30 minutes drive.

Air

London-Gatwick: 1.5 hours
London-Heathrow: 2 hours
London-Stansted: 2-3 hours
Kent International, Manston 30 minutes