The Harbour Church, Whitstable

  • 10 Harbour Street
  • Whitstable
  • Kent
  • CT5 1AQ

01227 276360
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our History

The church has a history stretching back over 140 years. It started because of preaching by a naval officer, Captain Jull. On November 11th 1869 he walked from Sandwich to see the result of the Great Fire of Whitstable and preached among the smouldering ruins of ‘The Spread Eagle’ inn.

In 1871, the site of the ruined property was sold to Cephas Foad. Upon the site of ‘The Spread Eagle’ the church was later to be built. Ownership of the property changed hands a number of times over the years. For example, Cephas Foad bought the property back in 1889 and almost immediately sold the freehold to Caroline Wallis of Bruges in Holland for £350. Later, in 1924, George Beer, a local farmer, bought the building from a John Harris.

The church has always had a enthusiastic interest in outreach. For example, during the First World War missions were held by Rankin and Tarrant who were stationed at Canterbury. In 1915 was a visit of the first Pilgrim Preachers and in 1921, they visited the town again.

Over the years, most of the congregation have been ordinary working folk. Fishermen, shipyard workers, builders, railwaymen and farmers to name a few trades and occupations.

Some time after the end of World War Two, to ensure the long-term use of the property, a Trust was established and the church became known as Harbour Street Evangelical Church. The adjoining house was purchased to provide additional accommodation for the work of the church. In the 1960s the name was changed to Harbour Street Christian Fellowship, with a further change in 2018 to The Harbour Church Whitstable.

In recent times we have adopted both purpose and mission statements to help us plan for future growth. We plan our worship and teaching with the use of a modified ‘Purpose Driven’ approach to ensure that there is balance, breadth and depth in all that we do.

The premises have been extensively updated to meet the needs of the 21st century.

A more detailed history of the period 1869 to the 1970’s written by the local historian Mr Wallace Harvey can be found by clicking the 'A Longer History' link at the top of this page.