We decided this morning to spend a bit more time exploring Whitstable, and hunting down the street art by ‘Catman’, whose work can be found dotted around on buildings all around the town. When you think of Whitstable, you think of a working harbour and oysters. There is absolutely no way you would ever get me eating an oyster.. So we decided to check out the fishermens boats. It was still low tide however so incredibly minimal boating activity, but Santa did get an idea for another trip to Whitstable – join a boat tour to the Maunsell Forts. These can be seen on a clear day, along with all the wind turbines!
For the rest of the day, we decided to explore the Thanet district, starting in Margate, then heading to Broadstairs, and finishing in Ramsgate. Naturally, it rained for most of the day.
Margate is the largest of the three towns and has undergone significant regeneration, featuring independent and vintage shops, coffee shops, and artistic hubs. However, there is still noticeable neglect in some areas. We went for some shelter in The Old Kent Market, the site of the old Parade Cinema. It houses a range of stalls selling food and crafts, but unfortunately, most of the businesses were closed. We also mooched around the old town, which is where you will find a lot of the independent shops and cafes.
I don’t think the weather helped, as the place felt almost deserted, with only a few people loitering in the streets with their tinnies. I imagine that during dry summer days and weekends, the town is vibrant and lively, but unfortunately, it just didn’t do it for us today. Despite the weather, we still appreciated its general seaside charm, the people in the shops were super friendly, and I bet that Dreamland would be a joy to visit in better weather!
For the drive to Broadstairs, Santa requested Chas and Dave – Down to Margate. Turns out Mum thought they were singing Downham Market 👍 Once we arrived, the rain gave us a brief reprieve, and we made our way to the sandy Viking Bay. It was completely deserted, a stark contrast to how it would have looked a few weeks ago during the school holidays. Nevertheless, we truly believe Broadstairs is the jewel in Thanet’s crown.
After enjoying a lunch at the Charles Dickens pub, we strolled along the promenade to our next destination, Stone Bay. The wind picked up, allowing Mum to take plenty of photos of the crashing waves! Stone Bay is a stunning and tranquil spot, surrounded by chalk cliffs and colorful beach huts. We spent a lot of time here, simply taking in the calmness and beauty of this blue flag beach.
Before heading off to Ramsgate, I made sure we had a quick sesh in the arcade, and Santa made sure he had a drink in The Royston – East Kent Pub of the Year 2024.
By the time we arrived in Ramsgate, it was pouring rain, so we took shelter in the UK’s largest Wetherspoons, which can accommodate up to 1,500 customers! We were eager to explore, so while the rain lightened up, we stepped out for a walk along the UK’s only royal harbor and admired the boats bobbing around in the water.
Another interesting fact about Ramsgate is that it has its own Meridian Line and “mean time,” which is 5 minutes and 41 seconds ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Unfortunately, the clock tower is currently undergoing renovation, and it’s unclear when it will reopen. There’s so much to see and do in Ramsgate that, in hindsight, we wish we had visited here first and saved Margate for later.
Since we still had a bit of daylight and we love cramming everything in, we decided to take a walk to Kingsgate Bay and Botany Bay. These locations feature stunning sections of the coastline, known for their chalk cliffs, chalk stacks, and several caves. Given the time of day and the weather, we practically had the beach to ourselves, except for a photoshoot that was taking place. Once again, we found ourselves wishing we had more time to fully explore the caves and rock pools.
As it was super late when we arrived back to Whitstable, there was only one thing left to do – small plates at Spoons! Set in an old cinema, it’s also full of film memorabilia, and obviously perfect for people watching.
The Travelling Ginger 