WHITSTABLE
trail 1 - along High St
Whitstable is a small seaside town in Kent. It is easily accessed by train from London and bus from Canterbury. .
Whitstable is a small (pop 32,000) seaside town in Kent. It is easily accessed by train from London and bus from Canterbury.
Whitstable has remained free from the usual High Street chains with lots of local shops. Its attraction for tourists has resulted in many small restaurants and cafes. It still has book, toys and record shops still exist as well as many small attractive boutiques. There are lots of craft and gift shops to be visited.
Whitstable is famous for oysters which have been collected since Roman times. Many of the pubs and restaurants specialise in seafood dishes. There is an annual Oyster Festival.
The beach is pebbles rather than sand and stretches away on both sides of the harbour. Whitstable has several groups of colourful beach huts in use.
Whitstable High St trail
This trail can be joined by walking into Whitstable from the train station or alighting the bus when it has passed under the railway bridge.
Just after the tunnel is The East Kent. Then down Oxford St, staying on the left-hand side, to reach Wetherspoons’ Peter Cushing. Continue down to the next crossroads and veer left down Middle Wall. On this road there is The Whitstable Wall Tavern at the car park and further on The Smack.
Leave The Smack and continue walking down and turn right along Terry’s Lane at the end of the road. This takes you to the High St where The Duke of Cumberland looms large on the junction.
Leaving here walk UP the High St to find, on the right, firstly The Royal Naval Reserve and then The Black Dog micro pub. Cross over the road and continue walking up the High St to reach The Ship Centurion and then on to The Coach and Horses. Up from here you can find the roundabout, where a left turn takes you back to the station or a bus stop to return to Canterbury.
Of course, bus travellers could visit all of the pubs on the way down to the coast and get a return bus from Harbour St (to the right of The Duke of Cumberland).
The East Kent
The East Kent (Shepherd Neame) still has a lot of the tradition pub design. There is an island centre bar serving lounge and bar. A snug, now coffee room, to the right; lounge straight on and a bar to the left. The bar area curves around to the right meeting the lounge and continuing out to the decked terrace. Thai food is offered and music is on at weekends. Dog friendly
Have a pint here
Real ale : Master Brew; Spitfire;
Lager :Oranjeboom; Hurlimann; Asali
Cider :Strongbow Guinness
The Peter Cushing
The Peter Cushing is a Wetherspoons’ pub. It is a converted old cinema and named after the actor Peter Cushing who lived in Whitstable. Unlike many Wetherspoons is one big room with no sections or raised areas splitting it up. Although the biggest pub in Whitstable it has only a small beer ‘garden’. The cinema foyer has some old film equipment. There are lots of large mirrors and pictures on the wall. Disabled access and all day meals.
Have a pint here
Real ale : Ruddles Best; Deuchers; Abott; Wantsum (Fortitude) Wildcat; Meanies Platinum Blond Ale; Good Health
Bitter :John Smith
Lager :Carlsberg; Carling; Stella; Tuborg; Fosters; 1664
Cider :Strongbow; Stowford Press Guinness
The Wall Tavern - CLOSED
The Wall Tavern is now a Thai restaurant
The Smack
The Smack (Shepherd Neame) is a small two roomed pub on Middle Wall. Each entrance takes you into a room with the attractive bar with stools. Through from this on the right is a larger back sitting room with sofa area and small stage. These rooms have now been knock together forming a central oval shaped bar. There is often live music. There is seating outside at the front. There is also a beer garden, with covered pool table and alfresco lounge area as well as usual picnic tables, through from the back room. The roof of the bar has copies of newspapers stuck on it. Dog friendly.
Have a pint here
Real ale :Whitstable Bay Pale Ale; Master Brew; Goldings Ale
Lager :Oranjeboom
Cider :Strongbow
The Duke of Cumberland
The Duke of Cumberland (Shepherd Neame) is one of the biggest pubs in Whitstable. The building is at the junction which splits the High St. It is narrow at the main door but widens out to a large pub. Though locals around bar keep passing places narrow. Seating in main room is raised a little. Beyond the bar room is another large room with lots of tables and a skylight. Outside from here is a large courtyard from the coaching inn days now used as the beer garden. Offers food but this is not always available. Music often on at weekends. Above the front door is a sign advertising Billiards and Garage! Around the main room is a collection of old radios and office equipment.
Have a pint here
Real ale : Whitstable Bay pale Ale; No 18 (Yard); Master Brew;
Bishops Finger; Goldings Ale; Spitfire; 4 4 2
Lager :Oranjeboom; Hurlimann; Asahi; Whitstable Bay Blonde Lager
Cider :Thatchers
What’s in a name? Named after The Duke of Cumberland who defeated the Jacobites at Culloden
PUB QUIZ
Which town in Leicestershire is famous for Pork pies?
Answer at foot of page
The Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve (Shepherd Neame) is a tradition lounge bar. A bit dimly lit with low ceilings; and brasses and pictures. The bar is awkward because of a central wall which splits access to the serving counter. There is a large beer garden and a well thought of fish restaurant. Dog friendly.
Have a half here unless choice is better
Real ale : Master Brew
Kentish Ale Mild
Lager :Oranjeboom; Hurlimann
Cider :Strongbow Guinness
The Black Dog closed
The Black Dog is a micropub in the centre of Whitstable serving only real ale and cider. Some wine available. It is a small room with the bar at the far end. There are high settles down each side and a thin bench table in front of the seats. Beers are not from the pumps but from barrels in room behind the bar – pouring can be viewed through window.
Have a few pints here.
Good Beer Guide 2016
Major feature in Pete Brown's book "The Pub"
Real ale : Hophead (Dark Star); No 5 (Gadds); Festive Ale (Gadds); Red Eye (Brighton Bier); Pankhurst Pale Ale
The Ship Centurion Arminius
The Ship Centurion Arminius has the servery right in front of you inside the door. This serves customers sitting on stools. There is seating to each side of the bar. There are settles around the side which are a little thin for the larger backside. There is a back room round to the left. Music on Thursday evenings. Pictures of old Whitstable (plus info) on walls. There is a German theme to food and lager. Meals and dog friendly.
Good Beer Guide (CAMRA) regular including 2023, 2024, 2025
Old Pictures
Have a few pints here
Real ale :Hoppin’ Robbin (Rocking Robin); Spratwaffler Pale Ale (Time and Tide); Southwold (Adnams) ; Old Golden Hen; Red Top (Old Dairy); Black Dog Mild
Bitter : DNA (Wells)
Lager :Bitburger; Erdinger; Estrella; Fosters; Becks
Cider :Symonds; Biddenden Guinness
The Coach and Horses
The Coach and Horses (Shepherd Neame) is a two roomed pub with a dining part and outside garden area. The bar serves both the rooms. To the right is a small snug like area. While to the left is a lounge area stretching beyond the curving bar. This has a dining area beyond it. Meals all day, disabled access and dog friendly.
Have a pint here
Real ale :Master Brew; Goldings Ale
Lager :Oranjeboom; Hurlimann
Cider :Strongbow
PLACES TO VISIT WITH PUBTRAILS
The towns and villages highlighted on this web site have a wide variety of pubs and beers in them. All of the places are great to visit, whether for a day or longer, and most have tourist attractions for all of the family.
There is a large variety of pubs throughout the different towns shown below. Some you may wish never to visit again but even discovering these can be interesting. There are pubs that you would not take your wife into. While some you could not take your girlfriend into. A few you would not take either into. However, most of the pubs are very pleasant.
HOME MAP of places visited
Alnwick Ambleside Anstruther Bakewell Bamburgh Barnard Castle Bath Berwick upon Tweed Birnam & Dunkeld Bourton on the Water Bowness on Windermere Bridge of Allan Chester Chichester Dunblane Dunoon Edinburgh Ely Fort William Glasgow Gourock Greenock Helensburgh Inverness Kelso Keswick Knaresbourgh Largs Linlithgow Lyme Regis Melrose Montrose Newton Stewart North Berwick Norwich Oban Pebbles Penzance Portree Pitlochry Quorn Richmond Rothesay St Andrews Seahouses Seend Shrewsbury Skipton Stirling Stratford-upon-Avon Stockton Heath Whitby Windemere Whitstable York
“'Twas a woman who drove me to drink, and I never had the courtesy to thank her for it.”
— W C Fields
Whitstable trails
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Introduction to Whitstable page
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Coast trail pubs
The Prince Albert
The Fountain
The New Inn
Waterfront
The Savoy
The Continental Hotel
The Quayside
Pearson’s Arms
Old Neptune
The Duke of Cumberland
ANSWER: Melton Mowbray