Oysters to Rome – Whitstable’s first export? With oysters offshore, this was inevitable. The first port of Whitstable developed at Horsebridge in medieval times – where the slipway allowed horse-and-carts to reach flat-bottomed Thames Barges to load oysters and fish for Billingsgate Market.
Behind you, the large brick building, now a restaurant, was the base of the Oyster Company. The oystermen would meet in the large room upstairs to discuss Company business.
Where to eat & drink
As you pass Whitstable Yacht Club, a number of small shacks offer hot food, drinks and doughnuts. Try The Forge and Keith’s Coffee Hut. Also on Sea Wall (behind The Forge), is Kent Cycle Hire.
