View source for Great Fire of Whitstable, 1869

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'''The Great Fire of Whitstable''' in 1869 devastated the coastal town of [[Whitstable]] in [[Kent]], England.[[Image:Cobbled Street in Whitstable.jpg|right|thumb|Harbour Street today|alt=A narrow paved road, lined with shops]]On the evening of Wednesday, 10 November 1869, the fire swept through The Wall, west of the town's harbour. Given that the population of the town was a little under 2,000, the disaster that befell the little fishing harbour must have been big news across the region, as the fire drew a crowd of 10,000 spectators.<ref name="fire">{{cite book  | last=Goodsall|first=Robert|title = Whitstable, Seasalter and Swalecliffe  | date = 1938 }}</ref> It was the local [[Her Majesty's Coastguard|coastguard]], Edwin George Lane, who on 16 November at about 10.45pm spotted flames coming from the roof of a shop. He raised the alarm and a large crowd gathered.<ref name="fire" />

Winds caused the inferno to be carried into Marine Street, and Harbour Street beyond, causing great damage where almost all the buildings were destroyed. It was not until 8AM the next morning that the flames were extinguished, although firemen stayed for several hours to put out the smouldering embers.<ref name="fire" />

==References==
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[[Category:Disasters in Kent]]
[[Category:1869 in England]]
[[Category:Fires in England]]
[[Category:19th-century fires in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1869 fires]]
[[Category:Whitstable]]
[[Category:Urban fires in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:19th century in Kent]]
[[Category:November 1869]]
[[Category:1860s disasters in the United Kingdom]]