Editing Whitstable (section)

{{Short description|Town in Kent, England}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{infobox UK place
| country = England
| official_name = Whitstable
| coordinates = {{coord|51.361|1.026|display=inline,title}}
| population = 32,196
| population_ref = (2021)
| shire_district = [[City of Canterbury]]
| shire_county = [[Kent]]
| region = South East England
| constituency_westminster = [[Canterbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Canterbury]]
| post_town = Whitstable
| postcode_district = CT5
| postcode_area = CT
| dial_code = 01227
| os_grid_reference = TR107667
| static_image_name = Whitstable, Kent (39956504163).jpg
| static_image_alt = Aerial photograph showing town on left, harbour in the centre and sea on the right
}}

'''Whitstable''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɪ|t|s|t|ə|b|əl|audio=Whitstable.oga}})<!--We transcribe /hw/ when it occurs, and advise readers at the link that it is commonly pronounced as /w/.--> is a town on the north coast of [[Kent]], England, at the convergence of the [[The Swale|Swale]] and the [[Greater Thames Estuary]],<ref name=ATZ>{{cite book|title=Kent – A to Z street Atlas|publisher=Geographers A-Z Map Company Ltd.|isbn=9781843487555|page=226|work=Map of the Whitstable area|date=9 December 2015}}</ref> {{convert|5|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} north of [[Canterbury]] and {{convert|2|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} west of [[Herne Bay, Kent|Herne Bay]]. 

The town, formerly known as Whitstable-on-Sea,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cox|first=W. J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PBEHAAAAQAAJ|title=W.J. Cox's illustrated popular guide to Whitstable-on-sea and the surrounding neighbourhood|date=1884|publisher=W.J. Cox|language=en}}</ref> was famous for oysters, collected from beds beyond the low water mark from Roman times until the mid-20th century. The annual [[Whitstable Oyster Festival]] takes place during the summer.

In 1830, the [[Canterbury and Whitstable Railway]], one of the earliest passenger services, opened.<ref name=EB1911>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Whitstable |volume=28 |page=612}}</ref> In 1832, the company built a harbour and extended the line to handle coal and other bulk cargos for the City of Canterbury. The railway has closed, but the harbour still plays an important role in the town's economy. The railway route is now a cycle path which leads to Canterbury.