I suppose this blog is a bit of a dumping ground for the additional Kent things I got up to...
Margate is part of the local administrative district of Thanet, which governs the highest westerly points of the county. A significant maritime port since the middle ages, it was then part of the Cinque Ports (the name is Norman French, meaning "Five Ports"), a confederation of historical towns in Kent, Essex and Sussex. Originally formed for trade and military purposes, the title is now purely ceremonial.
A popular place for holidaymakers in the 18th century, owing to easy access via the Thames and, later, the railways, it went into decline in the late 20th century. Attempts are being made to revitalise the economy; evident in the array of artisan and vintage shops, specialist restaurants and art galleries in the Old Town area.
The first thing we did on arrival that afternoon was visit Margate Caves, but I've blogged about that separately, as there's so much to say. Here is the link:-
The Bay is gorgeous, and here's a photo of the sunset on our first balmy night there, overlooking the stone pier that is Margate Harbour Arm.
Watching the sun dipping over the Margate Main Sands, and a few stragglers were still enjoying the beach at 9pm.
We ate at the Great British Pizza Company, and I had a totally unusual blue cheese and pear pizza, on a ricotta base. The food, rosé wine and ambience- probably helped along by the roseate glow from this catchy neon sign above our table- were just perfect.💗
This is a SuperDean photo- he sulks if I forget to give him a credit.😉😝
The next day we took the bus to nearby Broadstairs (£4.50 for a day bus pass). Known as the "jewel in Thanet's crown," this pretty little village gets its name from a former set of stairs in the chalk cliff, which led down to the sands.
This is Viking Bay, with the magnificent Bleak House high up on the headland. Once called Fort House, Charles Dickens lived here whilst planning his book, and its location and appearance did inspire the title. The last time we were here we got to see inside the house- which was operating as a hotel-ventured upstairs to Dickens' study and into the bowels of the building, where a smuggling museum sat at the site of the end of an old smugglers' tunnel. Sadly, all this is now closed and the hotel is up for sale.
There is also a Dickens House Museum, with exhibits in the cottage that was his inspiration for the home of Betsey Trotwood; David Copperfield's fictional great-aunt in his father's side. That was also was temporarily closed, but I've been to it before- as well as the Crampton Tower Museum (another Broadstairs attraction). Read about them all here:-
I only took a few photos, as there are plenty on my previous blog, but had to capture a shot of the sea whipping up impressive sea horses over the railings...
One place I couldn't get into last time was a café called The Old Curiosity Shop, due to filming for a romantic comedy taking place outside. I tried, but the proprietress was in a none-too-happy mood. Well, I can understand that- she was trying to run a business after all, and having a production team discouraging customers from entering was extremely detrimental to her takings.
This is what I wanted to see...
The Wishing Well, and 250 years ago contraband such as tea, tobacco and spirits were hidden down here, away from the inquisitive eyes of Customs and Excise and Coastguard officers.
You can see two skeletal figures skulking down here...
We walked down Victoria Parade and on towards the King George VI Memorial Park. On the way we passed the Winterstoke sun shelter and rock gardens, and they date back to 1920.
The Italianate Glasshouse and Tea Garden is at the far end of the King George VI Memorial Park. It was not easy to find, as it's mostly hidden behind trees and this park suffered from that common public space problem of not having very good signposting.
We arrived thoroughly dehydrated, but a jug of pink lemonade soon sorted us out.
Dating back to 1817, the glasshouse was bought in 1832 at auction, from another magnificent house called Bretton Hall, in Yorkshire, to sit in the grounds of East Cliff Lodge. The house was demolished in 1953, with its grounds becoming the park. The neglected greenhouse was restored in 2005, with the tea garden being added much more recently.
This snap of the inside was taken from my seat, as we were not allowed to venture in due to current restrictions.
The harbour arm and Ramsgate- which began as a fishing and farming hamlet- has one of the biggest marinas on the south coast. The Royal Victoria Pavilion, which is the big building visible next to the beach, dates from 1904 and was built as a concert hall/ assembly rooms in the style of a Robert Adam orangery. After stints as a nightclub and a casino, it was rescued from dilapidated to become the largest Wetherspoon pub in existence.
I've blogged about Ramsgate before, and more photos can be found here- along with interesting details about the Ramsgate Tunnels:-
Back in Margate that evening, and here's the view over Dreamland, taken from The Mechanical Elephant (another Wetherspoon pub- it did the job!)
The site has been used for amusement rides since 1880, but was not named Dreamland until their scenic railway wooden rollercoaster was opened in 1920.
I stuck my head out of the window to get a better shot.😀 I don't know if the theme park was open whilst we were there, but I do know that the rollercoaster is closed until 2022. As that was the only ride we were interested in we didn't bother checking it out any further.
Britpop band Ocean Colour Scene were holding a concert there, and the big wheel lit up as they played...
These shots looked almost too pretty to consume. Almost...😉
The Tudor House is the oldest building in Margate; built in 1525. Considered to be high status as it has "showy" features, it's what's known as a "transitional house." No, that's not a halfway house for recovering drug addicts and alkies, but a building which bridges the gap between medieval open-hall living and early-modern two storey dwellings.
I have been in here before, and can remember standing in a fireplace and peering up a chimney of significant size. Sadly, it was shut this time. Frustratingly, it reopened to the public only one weekend later.
We visited Margate's stunning, mysterious Shell Grotto. But that deserves its own blog, which you can find here:-
We nipped into The Mad Hatter tea rooms to escape the rain and have a cuppa- lapsang souchong for sophisticated little me and coffee for Dean.
The Mad Hatter logo...
The downstairs restaurant, where we sat...
My smoky tree-bark tasting cup of tea, beautifully presented.😀
Under the previous owner the upstairs was much more cluttered, with Christmas decorations hanging around!
It's a quaint little place, but is it wrong that I found the khazi, with its fancy tiles, wooden seat and clunky cistern (you know the type- you think it's going to fall on your head) of enormous interest?! Why does the lavatorial always appeal to me?!
This seat looks a tad medieval, but I suppose in those days they would have only had either a drop or a hole beneath their wooden seats...
These cisterns always remind me of my infant school, which had outside loos (I'm showing my age here!) during my first year there, until they were torn down.
Very pretty tiling around the handbasin...
We went for a wander around the Old Town, and I had to question why seafood restaurant Hantverk & Found had tits drawn on its windows. Is it something to do with breast cancer/ breast checking awareness? Or does the place convert into a titty bar after midnight?
The Greedy Cow is a good name for a restaurant- I do believe it's named after me!😁
A little birthday pressie to self had to happen, and I needed new dangly diamante earrings. These were a snip, at £4.😁
The tide was high around Margate Harbour Arm. The big white building is the Turner Contemporary, an art gallery named after renowned artist J.M.W. Turner, who went to school in the town and visited throughout his life. We didn't go in as we've done it before.
The buildings to the right of the photo are part of Old Town.
View over The Bay towards Dreamland, and Turner liked to come here and paint as he thought the skies were lovely. They were a bit moody on this day!
The bronze shell lady was commissioned in 2009, and made by local artist Ann Carrington. Named "Mrs Booth" after Sophia Booth, who was Turner's landlady and long-term companion, the site of her old lodging house is where the Turner Contemporary now stands.
Despite the overcast sky, the sea retained quite a stunning contrasting green hue...
Two ships traversing the horizon. By now it was raining steadily, and a drinkie in the pub beckoned. Well, it was my birthday...😉
The Harbour Arm was built between 1812 1nd 1815 and the lighthouse is a Doric column, initially instated in 1829 after being designed by William Edmunds. It was rebuilt in 1955, after being destroyed by the North Sea flood of 1953.
Margate's Jubilee Clock Tower was built to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887, although it wasn't completed until 1889.
Is it wrong to think of Only Fools and Horses and their Jolly Boys' Outing (it was their 1989 Christmas feature-length special) whenever I think of Margate?!😁
We were going to venture towards Cliftonville and where the fictional Villa Bella (where Del-Boy, Rodney and Uncle Albert stayed) would have been, but the day was a bit too wet. Further around from there is the utterly original Walpole Bay Hotel, which houses their eccentric museum and napery.
I've been for a nosy before (plus a delicious strawberry cream tea) and blogged about it here:-
Heading out for a drink on the evening of my birthday and the sky looks mellow and subdued yet eye-catching. I can understand why Turner chose to come here to paint.
Morning goodbye view from near out hotel, showing iconic Arlington House, which is a 58 metre high, 18 storey residential tower block.
View from the platform, and our hotel room was the window to the bottom right. It took me a while to understand why I could hear rumbling beneath the building during the day, although I can't say that it was something that was overly intrusive. I thought it was someone playing intermittent rock music- until I actually looked out of the window, saw the Margate sign and had a lightbulb "duh!" moment.😁
Margate is very easy to get to as we take the high-speed link from Stratford, which is not far from my home.
All in all it was a lovely, much-needed break and Thanet, I will return.
Until then...
TTFN
The Miss Elaineous
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