The Finest Sands in England - a Design Hunt of Margate

Hands up, I have been influenced. And by none other than the most dreamy of influencers, Charlotte Jacklin. She could sell me anything and I’m not even mad about it. One of her most-talked about places is a lovely little seaside town called Margate, which not only offers sandy beaches, lots of little shops to spend my pennies (literally), and beautiful eateries, but it’s all at a bonus two-hour drive from London, most of which is spent… leaving London.

While it’s definitely a city of two halves (extra reading for Brownie Points here and here) the design of the place is no doubt beautiful. The local arcades and cafes are full of handwritten signs, vivid (albeit slightly crumbly - see previous links) shopfronts, and classic full English breakfasts, and the recent influx of Londoners, while of course a contentious issue, has brought in more of the same - but with more Farrow & Ball and four quid flat whites than their other half.

Here’s a little summary of the bits I found most charming - and what I’d recommend if you have three days in the place that you’d like to spend mostly boozing with a light smattering of culture.

General ✨Vibes✨

First things first: the place just has good vibes. Driving in from London you get a view of the Empire Cinema, a beautiful tower with lovely yellow letters, and also The Sea (TM). Growing up in the Midlands, The Sea is always immediately magical to me. The fact it doesn’t take four hours in a hot car to get there and doesn’t involve moist Red Leicester sandwiches that have been sweating in the boot is truly delightful (it’s a frugal choice that I’d say as an adult, on balance, just isn’t worth it). And that’s without the added fact that I’m now allowed to just get into this giant body of water. Whenever I want? At will!? Amazing.

There are also pubs aplenty, including the Lifeboat - which is (disappointingly) a Brewdog, but also (not surprisingly) very good fun. Little bookshops, delicious cafes, cobbled streets. All in all a good time from the get-go. And that’s without even counting the fact I could get an alcoholic iced latte.

To Eat & Drink

I’m not one for photos of my food. No shame to those who love a quick pic of some dreamy beans, but usually I’m a Sea Food And Eat It kinda gal (it’s a shame I don’t like seafood because otherwise that pun would be rock solid).

With that in mind, two meals in Margate made me whip out the camera in the hopes of stirring up some food envy:

1. The cheese toastie and coffee at Forts - even the homemade tomato sauce made me weep, which is very unusual because I rarely believe anything beats the glory, the boldness, of Heinz.*

2. The brunch at the The Bus Cafe - award-winning meat and vegan options, and even willing to put the mushrooms on the side in a little pot to pass to a pal if you’re sensibly averse to their grey juice.

3. A sneaky third of Beach Buoys - a fish and chip shop with plenty of non-traditional options right by the seafront. I’m into naff chips, so this didn’t quite hit the mark (far too well made) but their interior was beaut and I was genuinely contemplating where I could store a buoy with some lovely words painted onto it.

*It should be clear from all of the above that I’m no food connoisseur - so only if you like your meals microwaved and in large quantities am I the person to listen to on this matter.

To Do

1. Dreamland
   Do you like your rollercoasters slow and your theme parks with a side of why is it so empty I feel like I’m at the start of a horror film? Well shucks, Dreamland is the place for you. I must emphasise though, neither of those are criticisms - to its credit the rollercoaster was one of the very first in the UK (I’d also be slowing down at that age), and I’m sure the whole place is rammed on sunny days when pints are more tempting (we went on a solid third-day hangover Sunday) or when there are gigs on (we just missed Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, which was devastating as we’d seen his brother Liam a few years before and someone threw a fish at him. He didn’t take it well.) There’s clearly been a lot of money pumped into the design of the place and it’s definitely got visual appeal, even if rides aren’t for you.
   

2. Arcades
   There’s something so beautiful about an arcade, isn’t there? The combination of 90s carpets, garish money pots and change machines, lovely heavyweight tickets you yank from machines, and then oddly loud music plus 3D facades of gorillas and signs for things like 5000 tokens for this plastic diamante buddha head. A place where dreams are truly made (for 2p a go). And luckily for us, there are about six of them in Margate.
   

3. Shell Grotto
   An underground network of roughly 4.6 million shells, carefully placed and arranged in intricate patterns all over the walls. Fair enough, you think. Some sort of gentleman’s folly from the 1800s, bit of spare time on his hands, fancied a laugh. If you ask me It’s absolute bloody madness that that’s not the case, and in reality they have no idea where this whole place has come from. Isn’t that ridiculous. And if that’s not enough to make you want to go and see it, it’s got one of the best gift shops I’ve ever seen. In and out of the caves in five minutes, then go and buy a whopping great shell for your garden or a glittery drag mermaid. Sorted.

To Peruse

There’s a seemingly endless supply of vintage shops to browse through, with an array of maps, signs, books, and general oddities. I won’t lie, they’re all on the pricey side - £6 for a postcard seems a bit steep to me (and everyone sensible), but I’m a sucker for bright colours and genuine articles. I managed to pick up an original ‘Lazy-gram’, commissioned by Butlins and perfect for the traveller with absolutely nothing to say.

The highlights for me were:

• Ramsay & Williams Vintage Shop and Ice Cream
  It took a lot for me not to buy a Doctor Who badge from the 80s, but I was distracted by both everything else I wanted to own (they may or may not have been responsible for the £6 postcard) and the ice cream shop next door. Beautiful.

• Paraphernalia
  Antiques and vintage, stumbled across a great Polish metal warning sign. Oddly enough I already own too many of these.

• Pie in the Sky Vintage Emporium
  Great clothes, and opposite a doughnut shop.

• Dolly Rocket
  Bright prints and homewares sold by a fab woman I met outside a pub later that day. I think I’d had too many pints to make much sense to her.

• Les Animaux
  I acknowledge this is bougie af, but all I’m saying is I put a dress on and knew that this place was for me. For Brigerton-esque empire-lined dresses, comfy linen trousers, and gorgeous silhouettes, all handmade to fit you especially, there’s nowhere better. I am both obsessed and broke. Bury me in my new gown and pass my credit card debt to my next of kin.

Some top tips in general: budget more than you think, especially if you’re a member of the No Self Control Club, and book everywhere you want to eat in advance. Even brunch. Especially brunch.

Fancy reading about other places I’ve been to? Try on Berlin, Dublin, or New York for size. I shan’t be going anywhere ever again, the dress has taken my money.