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So what's all the fuss about this little street in Whitstable? ... 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. Here's a place where modern individual shops shelter beneath uneven roofs, and on some of the buildings' walls, the original taxation stamps can still be seen carved into the stone - showing the firemen of yore who amongst the shop owners had paid for their sevices, and who should be passed over in case of emergency... |
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There's not a lot of uniformity here , and that's what gives it character, and many of Harbour Street's boutiques and shops have helped establish Whitstable's reputation nationally as a place where you still find a personal and considered touch to things. |
The street itself is part of the one-way system close to Whitstable's Harbour, and has been widened over time to make pedestrian access easier. Recent works have further widened the footpaths, and the whole street is completely pedestrianised during the summer Oyster festival and Regatta when bands play and people make the most of the long evenings. There's a definite feeling of the old and new merging here, with town commerce and local life having long established roots within this short street; from the loss of 71 buildings in 1896's 'Great fire of Harbour Street', to the years of the 'Palais-De-Luxe' cinema in the 1920's, right up until its modern day attraction with those wishing to visit this contemporary seaside scene. |
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There's an increasing aesthetic pride and awareness which has swept its way through the town, maybe as a result of Whitstable's growing popularity, or maybe because there's an innately artistic atmosphere and history here. Whatever the reason, Harbour Street (which is also home to three of Whitstable's art galleries), has a definite eye for quality, and although anchored in the town's rich past, has, in many ways, lead the way in Whitstable's renaissance with modern preferences and the town's future firmly in mind. |
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In Harbour Street: |
30 seconds away ... Pure Beauty and Holistic Salon
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