I Love Herne Bay

There is an old English word "Hyrne" that means corner and this is where Herne Bay got its name from. The village of Herne near Herne Bay grew up on a corner of land and therefore the Bay takes its name from this.

In the June of 1833 Herne Bay was officiated by an act of Parliament. The 1801 census records state that Herne Bay had a population of 1200.
The significance of Herne Bay had been realised by the time the Parliaments Act came in as the Turnpike Road to Canterbury was in place by 1820.
With the purpose of marketing Herne Bay as a stay over point for paddleboats that sailed in the Thames Estuary. A local group of businessmen formed an organisation. The aim was to build a pier. The town grew as the pier was developed.

A Board of Improvement Commissioners was formed in 1833. Hanover, Brunswick and Oxenden Street squares formed the basis of a new street layout. Mr William Day the first policeman was sworn in by the above board. He was initially a watchmen and then later sworn in as a constable by a magistrate. Mr Day also held the post of a lamplighter and rate collector.

The Clock Tower was erected in 1837 along with the sunken gardens and the bandstand adjacent to the pier. The sunken gardens were recently over hauled and are kept to a high standard throughout the year. Especially the colourful display in the summer months.
Due to some terrible storms in the 1970's most of the pier has all but disappeared. The Pavilion is still attached to the land and the other end can be seen in the distance.

There has been discussions regarding the rebuilding of the pier but as with most things a lot of money would be involved. Herne Bay has so much opportunity to attract investment that maybe a development company will come to the rescue for the pier.
We can only hope that this happens one day.

Smuggling
Do we have any evidence that smugglers were at work in Herne Bay ?...Yes Loads!
According to some local books the Divers Arms was a base for smugglers. Rumour has it that there were tunnels from the pub to the beach. Who knows, maybe its true.

The Ship Pub at the eastern end of the front was also linked with smuggling. On 24th of April 1820 a lugger was attacked for its haul by a group of 60 smugglers. Unknown to the smugglers a Royal Navy patrol was near by and keeping watch. The Royal Navy took on the smugglers and the commanding officer Midshipman Snow was shot by a smuggler when his own pistol would not fire. The Ships landlord Thomas Norris sent for a surgeon. Mr William Cooper came from Birchington to treat Midshipman Snow but alas he did not make it. Snow was buried with full honours in Herne. This murder resulted in a decline in smuggling as the community was outraged by the death.

Midshipman's Snow's death was not in vain due to the late actions of the smugglers who were then caught and the ring leaders hung.
The army was involved in their capture and even The Revenue men. So even back then the taxman got his share!
In Herne there is Smugglers Cottage and Smugglers Inn. The Herne Mill's sails would be placed in a certain direction to indicate the Customs men were around. Iron Box Cottage served as a dispersal unit with a tunnel from its cellar into the Canterbury Road where goods were taken onto there destinations.