Its beach has been named one of the best in the UK having received scrubbed itself up in the last couple of decades
London is the best city and the world and, on top of that, we’ve got loads of places within easy reach that make for a cracking day or weekend out of the city. Where the south east lags behind, however, is in seaside towns.
Look at any other corner of the country, from Cornwall to Scotland, and you’ll find greater veneration for its coastal towns and beaches. Aside from Brighton, the ones near London just don’t have the same cultural weight.
You can also list seaside spots near London and be met with sneers or snorts of derision. The classic day out of London by the sea died a slow death throughout the last century, and many towns’ reputations went with it.
One such town was Margate. For those of you who are fairly new to London and know the town well, this may come as a surprise, but for years Margate was not in tourists’ good books.
In fact, The Times, which has listed Margate’s beach as one of the best in the whole of the UK, described it as having been ‘a ruin’. These days, after some sprucing up and a healthy dose of investment, it’s one of the most sought-after towns in the south of England.
Part of the appeal – particularly if you’re going with kids for half-term – is that that weather needn’t hold up for a good time. Of course, it would help if you had a bit of sunshine and it would be a shame to miss the beach’s famous tidal pool, but the town itself is a bustling hub with a thriving arts scene and excellent array of restaurants.
Margate proudly embraces its seaside resort heritage, boasting plentiful fish and chip shops, ice cream vans, seafront pubs, and even adventure golf courses. Dreamland, one of the UK’s oldest theme parks, is conveniently located just a short walk from the beach.
When it comes to dining, KentLive readers have previously hailed Peter’s Fish Factory at 12 Royal York Mansions as one of the top spots for fish and chips in Kent. For those seeking a more upscale experience with unbeatable sea views, Sargasso in Margate comes highly recommended.
Not long ago, local shop owner Keith Marsh of Sunset Rock Shop commented on Margate’s transformation, noting: “Every shop in Market Place was for sale or derelict. Now you’ve got your hipsters coming down and every shop is occupied.”
He cheekily proclaimed on his blackboard: “We’ve got more Margate Rock than East London has hipsters”, reports Kent Live.
The Times reckons Margate’s revival has something to do with those Londoners. In fact, its ‘coolness’ has earned it a moniker of ‘Shoreditch-on-Sea’ as hip young Londoners relocate there.
If you decide to follow suit and look at homes in Margate, it’s considerably cheaper than London, according to Rightmove. The average will set you back around about the £300,000 mark.
For context, that’s more than £300,000 cheaper than the average London house.
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