The hamlet of Hampton-on-sea has been underwater for 100 years
Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
We have more newsletters
Kent is surrounded by water and is home to numerous lovely coastal villages and towns. Its popular piers are a reason to visit the county, whether it's the arty vibes of the Folkestone Harbour Arm or the carnival fun at Herne Bay Pier.
But one pier tells its own dramatic story, and you might not even realise when you first glance at it. Hampton Pier is only visible at low tide so you'd be lucky to catch a glimpse of it at all.
Yet under its murky waters lies the story of Hampton-On-Sea, Kent’s very own sunken hamlet. Read on to discover the fascinating story of the ill fated settlement that's been under water for 100 years.
Read more: Nearly 100k people waiting over an hour in an ambulance in A&E handovers in Kent
The first signs of meaningful activity on the land came in the 1860s when an Oyster fishing company was founded there.
It was named the Herne Bay, Hampton and Reculver Oyster Fishery Company and the land around it quickly began to be used as part of operations.
A 300 metre long pier was built to moor the company’s boats on and accommodation for staff was provided through the building of 12 terraced houses.
The scale of this company was so impressive that its many remnants outlived the spit of land they were originally based on, with inland oyster pools in the surrounding area staying around until the 1990’s when they were drained to become Hampton playground.
The Oyster company is just the beginning of Hampton-On-Sea's history.
It failed to take off and ceased operations in 1884 leaving the land empty and in need of use.
It was then decided it would function as a new seaside residential estate.
This would prove to be a mistake…
With the Oystery failing, Thomas Kyffin Freeman, local entrepreneur and owner of local paper The Herne Bay Argus sensed an opportunity to make money.
He bought up £60,000 worth of shares in the land and had grand designs on turning the area into a thriving seaside resort.
He erected a bandstand and laid the foundations for tennis courts, reading rooms and a miniature golf course.
He also organised a large sports day and offered free teas to those who came. That was until too many turned up, and he realised he’d ran out of teas.
His grand vision for the area was a housing estate and in anticipation of this a ‘Hampton-on-Sea’ name board was erected on the side of the platform at Herne Bay station.
Unfortunately, Freeman died of a stroke shortly afterwards in 1880 and his dream was never realised.
Instead Frederick Francis Ramuz, the mayor of Southend and a prominent land agent, bought up the area and tried to do a similar thing but with limited success as by now the sea was closing in.
By the 1890s the seas was closing in on the tiny settlement of Hampton-On-Sea.
The north-Kent shoreline is prone to coastal erosion due to its geological make up being of soft permeable clay.
This is naturally worn away by the hydraulic action of the sea.
Hampton-On-Sea’s great pier would prove to be its downfall as it acted as a buffer to the westerly moving shingle.
Without the replenishing effect of the shingle, Hampton’s coastline was left unprotected and began to erode rapidly.
The last remnants of the Herne Bay, Hampton and Reculver Oyster Fishery Company were the terraced houses that ran along the stretch of land adjacent to the pier.
Known as Hernecliffe Gardens and Eddington Gardens, they represented the peak of Hampton-On-Sea's once burgeoning promise.
Opposite the pier, the The Hampston Oyster Inn (now The Hampton Inn) was built and remains there to this day as a reminder of the settlement that once was.
The residents of Hampton-On-Sea where never under any illusion. They knew they were living on the brink as the sea kept ever closer with each passing day.
Events are thought to have come to a head in what it known as ‘The Great Storm of 1897’ when massive waves damaged the properties of Hernecliffe Gardens and brought the sea tantalisingly close.
From this moment on the residents of Hampton-On-Sea went into damage limitation mode.
The pier, which had been damaged in the storm, was partially removed in 1898 and a wall was erected the following year to little effect.
Try as they might, nothing could be done to halt the progress of the sea.
In 1903, Edmund Reid moved into the landward facing property at the end of Eddington Gardens.
Reid was famous for his handling of the Jack the Ripper case and was a known eccentric.
He named his house ‘Reid’s Ranch’ and set about busying himself in the plight of Hampton-on-Sea’s residents, becoming their unofficial champion.
He became well known for making light of the situation the settlement was in, going as far to paint battlements on the side of his house that faced the sea.
Reid also set up his own 'hotel' in a shed outside his house.
Named the 'Hampton-On-Sea Hotel' he would sell lemonade and postcards from it, many of which depicting the settlement slowly sinking into the waves.
In 1901, a census put the population of Hampton-On Sea at 42 people. This was a number that would steadily decline.
As the sea rapidly encroached it was clear that the battle was lost.
Hernecliffe Gardens disappeared between 1909 and 1911. As their foundations became untenable the council took the decision to demolish the buildings.
Eddington Gardens, which was further away from the sea, lasted for a while longer until it too was demolished, leaving nothing behind but the Hampton Inn and the remains of the pier.
Read next: