Whitstable is a town defined by its modern-day popularity; a once sleepy seaside fishing town now enjoying its status as something of a tourist Mecca. But there lurks an often forgotten dark chapter in its history – one which, over the course of just one night 155 years ago, redefined the town. It was on the evening of Wednesday, November 10 – not, as is often incorrectly reported, November 16 – a fire broke out which would have catastrophic consequences. It would consume much of what is today the town’s most popular area for day-trippers. It was described as “the most alarming and destructive…