Attractions near White Doves Guest House

Whitstable harbour was built in 1832 by the Canterbury and Whitstable railway company in order to serve the "Crab and Winkle" line, the world's first passengerrailway service. The Crab and Winkle line also carried coal, and linked Canterbury and London via a steam ship from Whitstable harbour.

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The 'Castle' used to be Whitstable's manor house, the oldest part being built in the 1790's by Charles Pearson, a London businessman who owned other interests nearby. He bought most of the land around the building, and the title 'Lord of the Manor' from Lord Bolingbroke. The house was only used during the summer months as a residence by the sea.

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The Town of Whitstable grew from the main road to Canterbury, now known as the high street, and the alley ways developed as local residents needed greater access to the sea. The multitude of alleys also served as convenient escape routes for smugglers, as Whitstable was, like most Kentish coastal towns, awash with the illegal trade in tobacco and spirits, as well as people during the Napoleonic wars.

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The look of the beaches is very traditionally English - the pebbles divided into sections by large wooden breaks known as 'groins', but on a warm evening, with the sun setting over a calm blue sea, it really doesn't feel like the classic image of the English seaside. It's beautiful, calm, the sky is enormous, and people flock to watch the day's last moments. I've lived in the mediterranean, and seen a fair few stretches of coast, and Whitstable has a very special feel, there's no denying it.

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It seems word has spread of Harbour Street's charms, with its pretty little shop fronts, boutiques and restaurants. Visitors come from far and wide for a stroll, a browse, and a look at the buildings, barely changed for over a hundred years