Break out the buckets, polish up the spades and sound the seaside fanfare – Herne Bay Pier has been voted the winner of the 2026 Bucket and Spade List!
We are absolutely delighted to have taken first place in this prestigious national award, organised by the Seaside Heritage Network to celebrate the very best places, attractions and experiences around the British seaside.
And the best part? The winner was chosen by the public.
Throughout the summer, people from across the country have been casting their votes for the seaside places they love most, and Herne Bay Pier came out on top against some wonderful competition from right around the UK.
For everyone involved with Herne Bay Pier, this award means an enormous amount.
The Pier is much more than somewhere to take a stroll over the water. It is a lively little community in its own right – a place to meet friends, grab something to eat, browse the colourful beach huts, listen to live music, enjoy family events, go crabbing, take in the sea air or simply stop for a while and watch the world go by.
At the heart of it all are the volunteers, trustees, stewards and our brilliant Hutters, who keep their businesses going throughout the year – even when the British seaside weather is doing its very best to blow everything halfway to France!
Lyn Blake, Chair of Herne Bay Pier Trust, said the Trust was hugely grateful to the Seaside Heritage Network and described the public response as truly heartwarming.
She also paid tribute to everyone who helps make the Pier what it is today – from the Trust’s volunteers and trustees to Canterbury City Council and the many independent businesses operating from the Pier’s beach huts.
Some of the comments made by voters summed up exactly what makes Herne Bay Pier so special.
Visitors praised the Pier’s huge variety of things to see and do, its food and drink, children’s activities, crabbing, dog shows, music and events, as well as the contribution made by the Pier’s volunteers.
That wonderful mixture is precisely what we love about the Pier too.
It can be bustling and lively on a summer weekend, peaceful and bracing on a winter morning, packed with families during an event or simply the perfect spot for an ice cream and a view across the sea.
There is always something a little different happening.
The Bucket and Spade List celebrates Britain’s distinctive seaside heritage and the places that continue to keep the traditional seaside experience alive for new generations.
Herne Bay Pier finished ahead of an impressive national shortlist, with North & South Marine Parks in South Shields taking second place and Wemyss Bay Railway Station in Inverclyde finishing third.
Other finalists included Tinside Lido in Plymouth, Weymouth’s famous deckchairs, Brighton’s Volks Electric Railway, the Shell Grotto in Margate, Scarborough’s Harbour Bar, Aberystwyth Cliff Railway and the Blackpool Colonnades.
To be placed alongside so many much-loved British seaside landmarks is something of which everyone in Herne Bay can be incredibly proud.
Most of all, we would like to say an enormous THANK YOU to everybody who voted for Herne Bay Pier.
Whether you’re a regular visitor, one of our volunteers, a local business, a Hutter, a supporter from further afield or simply someone who has fond memories of time spent on the Pier – this award belongs to you too.
Herne Bay has always known that its Pier is rather special.
Now, thanks to everyone who voted, the rest of the country knows it as well.
So next time you’re passing, come and celebrate with us.
Take a stroll, enjoy the sea air, visit our Hutters, grab a bite to eat – and perhaps raise an ice cream in honour of the 2026 Bucket and Spade List winner: Herne Bay Pier!
We couldn’t be prouder.
