poliphilo | Hampton Pier

Hampton Pier- and the pub behind it- is all that is left of Hampton-on-Sea- a settlement of oyster fishers about a mile to the west of Herne Bay. Coastal erosion caused the last houses to be abandoned in 1916. Its most famous resident was retired policeman Edmund Reid- who was in charge of investigating the Jack the Ripper murders. He championed local causes, cultivated a reputation for eccentricity and sold refreshments and souvenirs- including postcards of himself- from a booth behind his house.