29th June 2023. Richard Farr from the National Coastwatch Institution station at Herne Bay has made the following announcement.

“It is with enormous regret and a deep sadness that on behalf of the crew at NCI Herne Bay I have to announce the permanent closure of the town's Watch Station at Eastern Esplanade.

A notice is now attached to the building, which acted as an NCI Look Out continuously from 2001 until March 2023 when structural issues forced a temporary closure. Due to circumstances beyond the control of anyone at NCI Herne Bay that closure has today become permanent.

NCI Herne Bay, which had its first committee established in 1999, remains an entity however and efforts to identify an alternative location for a Watch Station are on-going. Any update to either this situation or regarding activities of NCI Herne Bay personnel (it is envisaged there will be representation at Remembrance in 2023) will appear on this page.

In the meantime please support our other local NCI Stations at Whitstable and Folkestone and the crew at the local HM Coastguard in Herne Bay, volunteers one and all.”