9 Thing to do in Herne Bay, Kent
A SEASIDE DAY TRIP
Herne Bay is a coastal town in the County of Kent, in the South East of England.
Decorated with colourful beach huts, gaudy arcades, and fish & chip shops, Herne Bay is the classic British day out.
As we grew up in Kent, we’d always make a visit to the coastal towns when the sun made an appearance (which isn’t often.) We’d usually stop at the seaside town of Whitstable. But this summer we decided to widen out and visit more of the towns in the South East of the county.
Often known as “Whitstable’s underrated neighbour”, we were unsure of what Herne Bay had to offer. But from our recent visits now we keep coming away excited to have found somewhere new to explore and already planning our next trip to return.
So here is our list of where to eat, shop, and explore in Herne Bay.
Read our article “A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE SEASIDE TOWN OF WHITSTABLE, KENT” for another seaside town to visit in Kent.
Reculver Ruins
The oldest building you’ll find in the area is the remains of the Reculver tower and Roman fort.
This English Heritage historical site sits defiantly on the coastline and is visible from miles around. Starting as a Roman Fort, it was abandoned and later used as an Anglo-Saxon Monastery. While the rest of the structure is in ruins and has been lost to coastal erosion, the two towers stand proudly in front overlooking the pebbled beach.
The remains are free to visit and just behind them, you’ll find a pub and car park just a stone’s throw away. If you want to visit without the drive then you can take a guided tour by paddleboard or follow one of the trails. You can learn more about these below on 6 and 8.
2.visit the Pier
You can’t come to Herne Bay and not visit the iconic pier. This bright and colourful pier creates the classic seaside landscape with its helter-skelter and fairground horses.
To the right is The Retail Village, these small white huts sell everything from arts and crafts and souvenirs to beach accessories and vintage clothing. At the end are bistro-style shacks, selling local ales, lunches and snacks.
Grab an ice cream, relax in the seating area and watch the kids go crabbing off the side.
The pier is also used as an entertainment venue so keep an eye on the events page for live gigs, music festivals and theatre performances.
3.The Beach
By far my favourite thing to do in Herne Bay is taking a walk along the seafront and admiring the colourful beach huts. The huts start near the promenade and run all the way along to the Hampton Pier so it’s a lovely walk away from the busy town.
You can actually rent certain beach huts out for the day to heighten your seaside stay. We found this one on Airbnb which comes with all the amenities you’d need for a trip to the sea including a china tea set to fulfil your English afternoon tea needs.
4. Visit the bay leaf coffee house
Featured in the Guardian as one of the top 10 restaurants and pop-ups to visit on the Kent Coast, this new cafe offers Sri Lankan twists on the typical seaside takeaways. They serve lunch, delicious hot chocolate and cake.
Head to their Facebook page to see what events and exhibitions they’re hosting locally.
5.Shopping
The town has a wealth of local businesses, antique stores, vintage boutiques and charity shops.
If you love vintage then head to Alamode Vintage, filled with vintage clothing and accessories. Stay tuned with her Instagram for £2 flash sales so you can bag a bargain!
On the High Street head to The Emporium for a treasure chest of antiques, collectables and retro furniture.
On the 2nd Sunday of every month, Herne Bay holds a farmers and craft market at Wimereux Square with a host of traders, locals and guest producers. Selling the very best of local produce and crafts.
If you visit the pier (you can’t not!) you’ll see small white huts lined along the left-hand side. These huts make up the Retail Village. Our favourite hut is Penny Green-Smiths, selling vintage, pre-loved and recycled apparel.
When the huts are closed admire the quirky artwork painted on the outside.
6. Lunch at the Wallflower Cafe
The Wallflower Cafe is a cosy plant-based cafe nestled behind shops on the High Street. This friendly cafe has a warm community spirit and has tonnes of vegan and gluten-free options available, all made with organic produce and only natural ingredients.
We’d recommend the falafel Buddha bowl!
7. Walk/cycle a trail
Below are a couple of excellent trails to either walk or cycle from, involving the area of Herne Bay, the scenic coastline and the Reculver Ruins. You can download a map with directions and information on the links below.
Minnis Bay to Reculver Country Park
Distance: 3.7m / 5.95 km
This is an easy walk that follows the Viking Coastal Trail and goes from Minnis Bay in Birchington-on-Sea to Reculver.
Distance: 6.7m / 10.7 km
This trail is primarily a cycle route and is filled with sea views and historical landscapes. It goes from Swalecliff to the Reculver ruins, but if you want to make it shorter then you can start this trail in Herne Bay. Starting in the town halves the trail, making it 3m / 4.9 km, so an hour walk from the town to the ruins.
8. Fish & Chips
You can’t come to the beach and not have fish and chips. There’s no better setting than sitting on the pebbles with the sound of the waves and the smell of the sea breeze…and of course the vinegar.
Our favourites are Shakey Shakey (they do gluten-free) and Herne bay Fish Bar.
Eat on the seafront or head to the benches in the Waltrop Gardens and relax in amongst the flowers. These sunken gardens are sandwiched between the promenade and the main road along the front and are worth a visit.
9. Workshops
Visit the beautiful She Rose by Jo Oakly. More than just a shop, but an ever-evolving gallery and workshop space full of artwork from the artist herself along with other local and talented artists. Head to the events page for up and coming events and workshops for children and adults.
So have a browse of the homeware and gifts inside or indulge in what I like to call a “crafternoon” and sign up for a workshop!
TRAVEL
Numbers 2-10 in this article are within walking distance, so once you’ve made it to Herne Bay you don’t need to worry about transport for the rest of the day. Number 1 (Reculver ruins) is just a 10 minute drive or 1 hour walk from the town centre.
By train
The quickest way to get to Herne Bay from London is by train from St Pancras International or London Victoria station. These journeys are direct and take 1h 20-1h 30 minutes.
Herne Bay train station is a 15-minute walk to the High Street.
By Car
If you’re driving into the town there are multiple car parks to choose from with similar prices. If you're visiting for the whole day we’d suggest William Street Car Park. This is central and £1.40 per hour between 09:00 and 18:00, every day.
For visiting the Reculver Ruins then head to the Reculver Public Car Park which is a 1-minute walk to the ruins. Or if you fancy a walk with a view then park in the Ocean View Car Park and this is a lovely 30-minute walk to the ruins.
Please leave us a comment below if you have any questions or if you’ve been to Herne Bay. Tell us about your experience! We would love to hear from you!
