Summary
One of Southeast England’s prominent seaside resorts for the past 250 years, Margate is located in the Thanet district on Kent’s North Foreland.
While Margate exhibits the traditional elements of an English seaside resort, such as a theme park, sandy beach, amusement arcades, theaters, and bingo halls, it also possesses an artistic, youthful, and uniquely quirky character.
Tracey Emin was raised here, and J. M. W. Turner, arguably England’s preeminent painter, spent a significant portion of his childhood in Margate and returned frequently in the 19th century.
His legacy is honored through the Turner Contemporary, an impressive art museum situated along the waterfront.
The Old Town reflects an intensely independent spirit, featuring galleries, vintage shops, and pubs housed in historic buildings.
Let us delve into the best attractions in Margate:
1. Dreamland
Margate’s own theme park has encountered challenges in the 21st century, having closed entirely in the early 2000s.
However, following a convoluted relaunch in 2015, substantial investments have been made into Dreamland to create an attraction that Margate can genuinely celebrate.
The initial amusement rides were introduced to this location in the 1880s, and the name Dreamland was established in 1920, coinciding with the construction of the Scenic Railway, which is the oldest functioning rollercoaster in the UK and a Grade II-listed monument in its own right.
This has been complemented by an expanding array of fairground-style rides, including dodgems, teacups, a ferris wheel, and smaller amusements for younger visitors.
Furthermore, Dreamland’s Victorian Hall by the Sea serves as a venue for live music, and the park hosts outdoor events in the summer, such as Gorillaz’s Demon Days Festival in 2017.
2. Margate Main Sands
The ideal spot to experience the classic charms of the English seaside, Margate Main Sands boasts a Blue Flag-winning beach along the resort’s central promenade.
This expansive stretch of golden sand is lapped by shallow waters that form a tidal pool, should you wish to take a dip in the brisk North Sea.
The tidal variations in Margate are quite pronounced; however, even during high tide, there is ample space for your deck chair or sun lounger.
The beach is bordered by the Old Town, which offers numerous pubs, shops, seafood stalls, and restaurants. Further west lies Dreamland and rows of amusement arcades.
To the east, you will find Margate Harbour, protected by its “harbour arm.”
3. Margate Old Town
Adjacent to the Main Sands, the Old Town presents Margate at its most fashionable and unconventional.
It is rare to find a chain store in this collection of streets and alleyways flanked by Georgian and Victorian flat-fronted edifices reaching up to four stories.
The ground floors are home to quirky cafes, specialty food shops, independent art galleries, historic seafarers’ inns, as well as numerous vintage clothing and antique stores.
It is unsurprising that the Old Town has been recognized as one of the UK’s trendiest districts, where the historical maritime character and captivating shopfronts may captivate visitors for hours.
4. Turner Contemporary
Located on the site of a boarding house where J. M. W. Turner once resided, the Turner Contemporary is an art museum designed by David Chipperfield and inaugurated in 2011. The museum had been a long-term project supported by Tracey Emin, who has roots in Margate.
The bold, warehouse-like structure with its stark white walls is Kent’s largest venue for visual arts.
Visitors can expect to see four or five exhibitions simultaneously at the Turner Contemporary.
In summer 2018, a prominent exhibit was “Now,” featuring contemporary Chinese artists Yin Xiuzhen and Duan Jianyu, showcasing large-scale sculptural works by the former and paintings exploring the dynamics between rural and urban China by the latter.
5. Shell Grotto
As much of a mystery today as when it was uncovered in 1835, the Shell Grotto consists of a 30-meter subterranean tunnel, rotunda, and rectangular “altar chamber,” carved from a chalk hill and adorned with a mosaic formed from approximately 4.6 million shells.
Theories about its origins abound, but there remains uncertainty regarding when the Shell Grotto was constructed and for what purpose.
It may have been an extravagant folly excavated in the 18th or 19th century by a wealthy local resident, a retreat for the Knights Templar or Stonemasons, or even a site for pagan rituals dating back potentially 3,000 years.
One of the many intriguing aspects of the grotto’s magnificent mosaic is that, while it features local mussel, cockle, whelk, limpet, oyster, and scallop shells, the background is composed entirely of flat winkle shells, which could only originate from beaches west of Southampton, over 150 miles away.
6. Margate Museum
Managed by dedicated volunteers, the Margate Museum is housed in the Georgian Old Town Hall located on Market Place.
The building previously served as the magistrates’ court and police station, linked by a covered bridge across an alley.
Within the museum, visitors can learn about Margate’s development as a tourist destination and delve into narratives of historic shipwrecks and paddle steamers.
There is an exhibition dedicated to bathing machines, which were wooden huts on wheels pulled into the water to allow Victorian tourists to bathe with discretion.
Visitors can explore the former police station cells and discover how Margate was influenced by the two World Wars.
7. Westbrook Bay
Adjacent to the Main Sands, Westbrook Bay features a sandy beach bordered by wooden beach huts and a promenade lined with ice cream stands during the summer season.
Further west from the resort, Westbrook Bay is more residential and attracts waterskiers, windsurfers, and kitesurfers.
As with any beach along this segment of the Kent coast, the difference between high and low tide is significant, yet there is always ample sand to relax upon when the tide is high.
Lifeguards are present at Westbrook Bay during the summer, and you have the option to rent a deck chair to fully embrace the English seaside experience.
8. Hornby Visitor Centre
The renowned hobby brand Hornby is based in Margate and is fondly remembered by many who grew up in Britain during the 20th century.
The company produces train sets, Scalextric slot cars, Airfix model airplanes, the Meccano construction system, and Corgi die-cast toy vehicles.
The visitor center provides an overview of Hornby’s history and showcases many of the innovations introduced by its founder Frank Hornby.
Large model railway displays are available, complete with interactive buttons for children, and there’s an opportunity for kids to engage in Scalextric racing on a track that times their laps.
During school holidays, the visitor center offers workshops in model painting, along with an on-site cafe.
9. Margate Harbour Arm
The harbor wall running adjacent to the Turner Contemporary on the east side of Main Sands provides a scenic perspective of the resort and its beach.
Several of the low brick structures that once housed fishing gear have been transformed into bars, cafes, and a pub, with benches placed strategically for you to enjoy the views.
Other buildings have been converted into artists’ studios, and the Harbour Arm Gallery hosts a vibrant schedule of exhibitions.
At the end of the arm stands a bronze statue of a “Shell Lady,” a larger version of figurines portraying women and crafted from shells, which are sold in Margate’s souvenir shops.
The statue is named after notable women in Margate’s history, specifically “Mrs Booth,” who was the landlady of a guesthouse with a view of Margate Harbour.
She maintained a connection with J. M. W. Turner and supported the artist until his passing in 1851.
10. Theatre Royal
The Grade II-listed Theatre Royal, established in 1787, claims the distinction of being the second oldest operational theatre in the country.
The original theater sustained severe damage in a fire in 1829 and underwent reconstruction at the close of the 1870s.
From 1885 to 1899, actor-manager Sarah Thorne operated an acting school within the Theatre Royal, mentoring some of the most distinguished actors of the era.
One of her students, Evelyn Millard, portrayed Cecily Cardew during the premiere of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest in 1895. The auditorium features an exquisite old space, adorned with gilded stuccowork on its balcony and gallery, hosting performances by well-known comedians, touring bands, ballet, musicals, and children’s shows.
11. Tudor House
A treasured landmark of the Old Town, this corbelled half-timbered house dates back to 1525. The Tudor House features “close studding,” narrow spaces between its vertical timber frames, and sits atop a plinth made of flint.
Restored in 1951, the building retains more than three-quarters of its original 16th-century materials.
It is open on Wednesday afternoons and weekends, featuring three reception rooms on the lower level, one adorned with a remarkable Jacobean plaster ceiling embellished with fleurs de lys, dolphins, and Tudor roses.
Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, and the garden outside is equipped with formal hedges and benches, inviting visitors to enjoy the tranquil atmosphere.
12. Walpole Bay Hotel Museum
Located in Cliftonville, east of Margate, lies an intriguing piece of English seaside history.
The Walpole Bay Hotel takes visitors back to Margate’s prime during the early 20th century, distinguished by its wooden verandas and a charming metal and glass canopy at ground level.
The Walpole Bay Hotel commenced operations in 1914 and has been preserved largely in its original form from the 1910s and 1920s.
Over time, the hotel has curated a unique assembly of early 20th-century artifacts, including household items, dolls, costumes, and authentic fittings from the hotel, such as gas lighting, call systems, and even urinals.
Guests can also view a variety of fossils discovered along Thanet’s beaches, and enjoy afternoon tea beneath the canopy.
The museum is free of charge, although donations are welcomed.
13. Old Kent Market
Facing the Main Sands, the Old Kent Market is a recently established indoor market located within a magnificent old cinema building dating from 1911. The former auditorium of the Parade Cinema features raised galleries and an impressive vaulted ceiling. After its days as a bingo hall and subsequently a snooker club, it has found new life as a charming shopping emporium.
Inside, an old London bus has been transformed into a cafe, and you may encounter what claims to be the smallest pub in the country, which accommodates standing room for only six patrons.
Visitors will find fresh produce sourced from Kent farms, pastries baked fresh on-site, antiques, and the opportunity to savor sushi.
14. Strokes Adventure Golf
An adventure golf course must be truly remarkable to qualify for inclusion on such a list.
Nonetheless, Strokes Adventure Golf meets this criterion for several reasons.
To start, Strokes has hosted the British Mini Golf Association Open tournament five times in the last decade.
The course features 18 creatively designed holes, with natural challenges that will test the short game of experienced golfers while also providing fun for younger players.
The location is also advantageous, situated on elevated ground overlooking Westbrook Bay.
15. Draper’s Mill
Encircled by contemporary residential housing in Margate’s southern suburbs lies a functioning “smock mill.” This style of windmill is primarily unique to Kent, characterized by a weatherboard structure with six or eight sides, crowned with a rotating roof that adjusts to capture the wind.
Draper’s Mill, constructed in 1845, operated by wind until 1916 and subsequently utilized a gas engine until the end of the 1930s.
The mill is now owned by a non-profit trust that has restored the Victorian brake wheel and six grindstones, which have been maintained in working condition since 1965. Visitors can explore the interior on Sunday afternoons during June, July, and August, when a volunteer is available to explain the mill’s history and mechanics.
