Old Neptune

Whitstable. Located in the lovely little coastal town of Whitstable, "The Neppy" sits on a spot right on the shingle beach. Built sometime before 1850 on what was likely a boatyard workshop, it serves the local shipwrights, fishermen, and tradesmen of the beachfront. Positioned directly on the shoreline, it has borne the brunt of severe North Sea and estuary gales for generations. In 1853 an exceptionally high tide combined with a northerly gale damaged the original foundations. A massive storm in 1883 wrecked several vessels along the shore, and the pub was used as a temporary morgue to receive the bodies of those who perished. And on December 29, 1897 a catastrophic gale washed the wooden building away. The pub was then rebuilt with reclaimed timber from the remains of the pub and several neighboring cottages. Because it was built on shifting, old wooden foundations, the building has continually shifted, twisted, and settled over the decades. The result is a tilted bar, sloping floors, and crooked window panes.

Over the years ownership has shifted through regional breweries, including Gardner's of Ash, Tomson and Wotton, and Whitbresd-Fremlin's, before finally becoming an independent free house. The cozy interior has two small rooms located off the rounded bar, and there many tables out back on the beach. I chose a Creekside Juicy IPA (one I don't see very often) from Shepherd Neame, and sat out back enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of Whitstable Bay.