Herne Bay

14.1°C Water temp · May 5

United Kingdom Coastal 1 - Excellent 14.1°C

The bathing water is a resort beach on the north Kent coast close to Herne Bay town centre. The bathing water is predominantly a groyned, shingle beach but with some sand exposed at low water. A promenade sits above the beach along with grassed areas behind.

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Water

Coastal bathing water

Location

Canterbury, Kent, Canterbury District

Season

Designated bathing water since 1988. Official monitoring season runs from May to September.

Water Quality

Excellent (2025). Assessed under rBWD

Risks

There is a storm overflow that discharges 600m offshore (Kings Hall storm overflow) and a storm overflow (Gainsborough Drive storm overflow) that discharges into a stream (Bishopstone Glen) 350m inland from the bathing water. Another storm overflow discharges into the Plenty Brook but this is 1.5km inland. Under the programme of works for Southern Water (from 2025 to 2030) improvements of storm overflow discharges will be undertaken. This will further reduce the number of discharges within the catchment. Discharges from these storm overflows occur when heavy rainfall overwhelms the sewerage system but they are designed not to affect bathing water compliance. There is a surface water outfall onto the beach (Canterbury Road). Several other small surface water pipes drain to the beach through the promenade. Reduced water quality may persist in the area adjacent to the outfalls for some time after rainfall has occurred.