The town, formerly known as Whitstable-on-Sea,[3] was famous for oysters, collected from beds beyond the low water mark from Roman times until the mid-20th century.

[8] In the 19th century, extensive finds of Roman pottery were found in the sea around Whitstable during oyster dredging, and an offshore rock near the town has been associated with Caunos, an island mentioned by Ptolemy.

[9] The town was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, under the name Witenestaple,[10] meaning "the meeting place of the white post", a reference to a local landmark.

[13] Saltworks were opened at the Seasalter manor around the turn of the 14th century, and a sea wall was built there in 1325 to prevent coastal flooding.

By the late middle ages Whitstable had become a centre of Thames Estuary fishing, including for oysters, and was connected by road to Chestfield where archaeological finds evidence seafood consumption, as well as the Forest of Blean.

[13] Around the mid-18th century, goods and passengers began to be transported by ship between London and Whitstable, and a toll road was built to the cathedral city of Canterbury.

[21][22] Designed by William James, the line ran six miles (10 km) from Westgate in Canterbury to Whitstable town centre.

The line carried coal arriving by sea in Whitstable to Canterbury, delivered by colliers sailing from the north east of England.

[9] Trains were driven by a locomotive for part of the journey, but on inclined planes were pulled on ropes by steam-driven stationary winding engines located at Tyler Hill and Clowes Wood.

[21][26] Whitstable harbour - also designed by Stephenson - was opened by the railway company in 1832, and the rail line was extended to enable goods, mainly coal, to be directly transferred from ships onto the trains.

The farm was the subject of an investigation by the Marine Management Organisation in 2016 after allegations about the racks causing safety issues and blocking navigation for watercraft and swimmers.

This ended in two independent navigational risk assessments commissioned by the MMO that concluded that the risk posed by the presence of the oyster farm remains ALARP or lower (broadly acceptable) and that the oyster farm’s activities met the requirements of the exemption relating to shellfish propagation and cultivation under the Marine Licensing (Exempted Activities) Order 2011 (SI 2011/409) as amended (Article 13).

[citation needed] A survey in 2019 discovered it is an especially heavy London clay, and is all that remains of the saltmarsh that once extended the length of the Swale.

[51] Business parks located on the outskirts of the town provide premises for large retailers, offices and light industries.

In early 2007, Canterbury City Council were planning to boost tourism by building retail developments in addition to the existing shopping centre.

[57] There is a Stagecoach bus service, branded as the Triangle, running about every fifteen minutes to neighbouring Herne Bay and Canterbury, where many Whitstable residents go to work and shop.

[63] The longest established event is the Regatta, dating from a sailing contest between 26 boats from Whitstable and Faversham which was split into three classes (divisions) in 1792.

Future events will be more sea borne with yachting and rowing, and plans for swimming and even the traditional greasy pole.

[65] The Whitstable Museum and Gallery displays artefacts and portraits relating to the town's seafaring traditions, with special features on oysters, diving and shipping.

The theatre is regularly hired out to other local groups such as The Canterbury Players, Herne Bay Operatic Society, Theatrecraft & The Deborah Capon College.

More recently Nick Wilty has adopted the venue to host the OyOyster Comedy nights, attracting stars including Harry Hill, Jo Brand and Paul Merton.

Times and dates can be obtained for the Fore shore services or the MCS South East Groups website, calendar page.

A notable feature of Whitstable is The Street, a natural strip of shingle on clay bank which runs out to sea at right angles to the coast, for a distance of about 1⁄2 mile (800 m).

Located to the east of the harbour, The Street is revealed only at low tide, when it is possible to walk out along it as well as swim either side in safe, sandy bottomed shallows.

It was originally built as an octagonal tower in 1789 by Charles Pearson, the owner of a copperas company in the town and a future investor in the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway.

[75] Off the coast of Whitstable is Kentish Flats offshore windfarm, consisting of 30 wind turbines, each 140 metres (459 ft) high, providing enough electricity to power 70,000 households.

[88] Whitstable has a council-owned swimming pool and sports centre with facilities for badminton, 5-a-side football, volleyball, cricket and tennis.

Kite surfing has become popular in recent years usually taking place east of the Harbour, due to its flat water conditions and exposure to the open sea.

[citation needed] County-wide station Heart Kent (formerly Invicta FM) was based on the John Wilson business park in the town.

[101] The Old Neptune Pub on the seafront was used as a filming location for the 2006 movie Venus, for which the actor Peter O'Toole earned an Academy Award nomination.