The once-thriving Kent seaside village that's now completely lost to the sea
Hampton Pier, a desolate strip of land only visible at low tide, conceals a tragic history beneath its barren surface. It's hard to fathom that this stretch of rock and sea was once a hub of significant activity.
Hampton-on-Sea, now part of the Hampton area in Herne Bay, was originally a bustling village that began as a small fishing hamlet in 1864. It was developed by an oyster fishery company and further expanded by land agents from 1879 onwards.
However, it was deserted in 1916 and eventually fell victim to coastal erosion by 1921. All that remains of Hampton-on-Sea, on Kent's north coast, is a solitary strip of land that also serves as a pier.
READ MORE:'Restricted zone' placed across all of Kent as map shows deadly Bluetongue disease spreading
READ MORE:Prisoner at HMP Maidstone kills inmate in 'brutal attack' and tries to hide body
Today, the coastline is a tranquil place, devoid of people and buildings. Only the land behind it is inhabited, a seaside town now known and loved by many as Herne Bay.
The final remnants of the Herne Bay, Hampton and Reculver Oyster Fishery Company were the terraced houses that lined the stretch of land next to the pier. Opposite, the Hampton Oyster Inn (now The Hampton Inn) was constructed and still stands today as a testament to the settlement that once thrived there.
By the 1890s, the bay's waters were gradually encroaching on Hampton-on-Sea. The inhabitants of Hampton-On-Sea were under no illusions.
They were acutely aware that they were living on borrowed time as the sea steadily advanced with each passing day. The events are believed to have reached a climax in what is known as 'The Great Storm of 1897', when massive waves damaged the properties of Hernecliffe Gardens and brought the sea dangerously close.
Coastal erosion was prevalent due to the North Kent shoreline's soft clay. The pier blocked any westerly moving shingle which, in turn, left much of the coastline unprotected and prone to speedy erosion.
After much of the settlement was either abandoned or swallowed up by the sea, the last buildings to remain were the terraced houses that once housed workers of the Herne Bay, Hampton and Reculver Oyster Fishery Company. The brevity of the town's existence was laid bare in 1897 during the 'Great Storm' of that year.
Huge waves smashed against the properties of Hernecliffe Gardens and brought the sea as close as it had ever been. An already declining population, the 1901 census put the population of Hampton-on-Sea at 42, reports the Express.
Herncliffe Gardens would disappear completely between 1909 and 1911, and the then council decided to demolish the properties before it was too late. While Eddington Gardens, which lay further away from the shore, lasted longer, the same decision was made and it was duly destroyed before the sea level reached it.
Hampton-on-Sea was abandoned in 1916 and finally became fully submerged in 1921.