In May I visited Herne Bay seafront, stopping by the colourful beach huts and pier. It was the first time that I’d visited the Kentish seaside town since January 2020 when I visited the themed Alice and the Hatter tearoom with friends. I barely left Canterbury town centre from January to April of this year so we decided to concentrate on making the most of the change in environment during our visit to Herne Bay. As much as I adore city life, it’s good to get a change of scenery every now and again and I couldn’t wait to experience the fresh seaside air. We arrived early in the afternoon, ready for a stroll along the beach.
Arriving in Herne Bay
It was a warm but blustery day when we drove over to Herne Bay. Rather than park in the town centre, we decided to park on the seafront and there were plenty of free spaces. From there we could follow the steps down to the beach huts and start our stroll along the sand. If you’re not visiting Herne Bay for long, I’d recommend parking in a similar location as you’re immediately greeted with lots of bright colours as soon as you open your car door.
Beach huts
Every beach hut on Herne Bay beach is unique in its decorative style and colour, giving visitors so much to look at when they walk along the front. There are lots of huts on the beach and they extend right up to the pier. You can easily wander along the sand for 10-15 minutes before you reach the pier entrance. If you like photography you could spend even longer, taking photos of all of the colourful hut designs.
As we wandered past I kept looking from hut to hut, spotting the differences between them. From the seagulls to the colourful stripes, there were so many beautiful designs. The pink and blue sunflower-themed hut was my favourite with its vibrant colours; the elegant floral motifs made it really stand out on the shoreline.
Herne Bay Pier
The pier had amusements, food kiosks and a craft market to explore. If we hadn’t eaten before our visit, I’d have definitely stopped at one of the pier cafes for a bite to eat. The brilliant sea view and the proximity to the waves made the pier seem like a great place to stop for some chips or an ice cream. There was also a great atmosphere at the pier on the particular afternoon that we visited Herne Bay, with friends and families enjoying the amusements and activities.
The craft market was my favourite part of the pier with its unique sea-themed gifts. It reminded me very much of the beach huts in Whitstable harbour where you can purchase novelty seaside fare. The stalls sold plaques and keepsake signs to name a couple of items, which would make great presents for close friends and relatives.
Keeping with the post-COVID times, I was pleased to see that one of the sellers had a contactless payment machine on the pier. This definitely helps make the craft market more attractive to visitors at a time when cash is being used less frequently.
Extra activities
As we were only in the town for a couple of hours during the afternoon, we didn’t have time to take part in any of the seafront activities. They looked like a lot of fun though and we saw many people on the beach experiencing new things such as crabbing and water sports. Next time we visit the town I’d like to have lunch at Alice and the Hatter again before giving the seafront mini golf a try. We definitely need to arrange a day of games, Wonderland-themed cupcakes and sunshine on the Kent coast next Summer.
We had a brilliant afternoon at Herne Bay, taking in the crisp coastal air and soaking up the albeit small amount of sunshine. The beach huts were painted wonderfully and the pier had a really lively atmosphere. I feel very fortunate to have the sea just 20 minutes away from home; coastal strolls are good for the soul.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
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