We rented a 1st floor apartment in a house on Eastern Esplanade in the coastal resort of Broadstairs in Kent. The house was ideally located with all the different places to eat and drink being just around the corner. Although close to amenities it was so very quiet and peaceful with glorious views of the sea. Most of the time all you could hear was the lapping of the waves on the beach below.
We chose Broadstairs as our base to explore Kent because it had a railway station which enabled us to get around without the hassle of long car journeys. It is also a great place to enjoy walks to view the spectacular chalk cliffs and sandy beaches. The region is called the Isle of Thanet. It used to be separated from the mainland in east Kent by a channel but now it’s just a peninsular. We walked along the coast from our house via Stone Bay, Joss Bay, Kingsgate Bay (stoppping at Captain Digby resuarant) Botany Bay to Palm Bay in Margate before getting the bus back.
The town itself boasts charming small shops and cafes which all seemed to have a Charles Dickens connection! This was because the famous author spent time there writing his stories. In fact, at the end of our street was Bleak House and their cafe with gift shop had a view of Viking Bay. The Dickens House Museum is housed in a cottage in Victoria Parade, which was the inspiration for the home of Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield. Then there’s a cafe called the Old Curiousity Shop with a sign declaring: “Charles Dickens may have enjoyed a cream tea here”!
The main bathing place is Viking Bay with golden sands and a boardwalk. You can hire a beach hut, deckchairs or an all-terrain wheelchair. There is also the Crampton Tower Museum near the railway station which is all about the engineer Thomas Cramptom However, we didn’t visit because of the limited opening hours. Another tour we missed was St Peter’s Village Tour with costumed characters, but that was because we seemed to have a full itinerary throughout the week!
Broadstairs was an excellent base for exploring that corner of south east England, so I can thoroughly recommend it.
