Bonjour lecteurs! I know that many of us will now be looking at booking holidays abroad. But if you fancy an adventure in the UK, I have the perfect gem for you. We have been living in Kent for over 5 years. But we loved Rediscovering The Isle Of Thanet over the Bank Holiday Weekend. At the very edge of the Garden of England, Margate, Broadstairs, and Ramsgate make such a beautiful option if you are looking for a mini break on the seaside. The Georgian and Victorian resorts are full of charme with many family-friendly locations for you to visit. Follow me for une nouvelle aventure avec ma famille!
Introducing Thanet
Thanet represents the classic seaside heritage in the South East of England. Indeed, those resorts in Kent have been the favourite of many artists over the years: Dickens, Van Gogh, Turner…
No wonder why Londoners have been escaping to the Isle of Thanet for more than 200 years.
Formed over 7,000 years ago and separated from the mainland by the Wantsum Channel, the area attracts more and more people each summer thanks to its beautiful sandy beaches and many attractions.
You may have already made it to the area as it is not even 2 hours drive from la capitale and it has so many beautiful gems to explore.
We ourselves made it to Broadstairs on différentes occasions over the years. But I have truly been Rediscovering The Isle Of Thanet last month for a truly enchanting weekend!
Ramsgate Beach & The Harbour
After meeting up with some friends on the frontière of Thanet, we drove to Ramsgate where our pied-à-terre for the weekend was.
Did you know that the town had a royal harbour? The only one in the country apparently. The beach and the harbour are surrounded by beautiful propriétés with regency architecture.
So before checking in to our hotel, we made it to the beach and walked along the parade and the pier.
It was full of familles enjoying the sun and we made it for a late drink and a fish and chips. I was surprise to see how animated the town was with people going out to local bars and clubs!
But we walked along the harbour in the sunset and it was beautiful! Looking back at the photos now, it could appear like we are in Spain or something like that!
Our Stay At the Albion House Hotel In Ramsgate
While Rediscovering The Isle of Thanet, we stayed at the beautiful Albion House Hotel In Ramsgate.
The Georgian seaside boutique hotel is beautifully decorated.
Mixing well its heritage (the hotel was built in 1791!), with modern touches such as the contemporary couleurs, the place also features a beautiful restaurant for you to eat and relax.
The Albion House Hotel is also very well located on top of the East Cliff.
We got a room which offered some stunning views of the Royal Harbour.
With the light of the sun right in our room, it gave the space a peaceful atmosphere for le parfait voyage à la mer!
The hotel prides itself on its rich history. Indeed, the old house was a famous spot for royalty, politicians, actors and the wealthy.
We actually discovered that Ramsgate was given the status of ‘Royal Harbour’ by King George IV as a gift for the hospitality he received when visiting Ramsgate in 1820.
The Micro Museum in Ramsgate
For our first adventure on the Isle of Thanet, we stopped by The Micro Museum. The seasonal museum offers a great personal collection of vintage computers, calculators, games and electronics.
It’s like getting back in time with key items such as the ZX Spectrum, the Nintendo Game Boy and others.
The boys were truly in their element, especially Grumpy Boyfriend who showed me a couple of past consoles that he used to have in his childhood.
It’s full of nostalgia and you can even play some games. A blast from the past and a must-see if you are a geek or a computer games fan.
Broadstairs
As we have been many times to Broadstairs, we did not spend too much time there this time around.
But some classics you must see in this beautiful seaside town with vintage vibes involve the Dickens House Museum.
I also recommend having ice cream at Morelli’s Gelato on Victoria Parade. The family business started in the early 1900s from a bicycle before making it to the Harrods food hall. The place is still there to this date and it’s one of the most popular foodie destinations in town of course!
And if you want more idées on family-friendly places in Broadstairs, see my 2019 post. So this time around, we decided to check plus en détails Margate.
Margate
The original seaside town will charm you with its markets, its beach and its trendy and colourful shops and vintage market.
We started our journey walking around the town in the sun, amazed by the local motorbikes and the colourful buildings and houses.
Even better, Margate has many free places for you to have fun with the children! We started with the Turner Contemporary. The internationally-renowned gallery offers some beautiful contemporary art.
En plus, we absolutely LOVED its library/children zone upstairs.
The gallery collaborates with the council and this year, the ‘Rising’ collection shows up a selection of pieces of art local young artists created out of rubbish.
When the ugly turns into art…
After such adventures, it was time for le déjeuner. So we stopped by the beautiful Waverley House. Le restaurant was an absolute treat with a lovely selection of food among the beautiful decor.
Le plus, you can enjoy your lunch on the terrace with a direct view of the beach. My Sunday roast was truly a win and so was Stanley’s burger!
Also In Margate
If you walk 5-10 mins outside the beach area, you can also visit the Margate Caves.
The subterranean curiosity will show you around some paintings in the caves where you can learn some facts as well as some local history.
We also stopped by the Shell Grotto. It is said to be one of Kent’s greatest mysteries discovered in 1835. Go down the tunnel to see over 4.5 million shells turned into pieces of art.
We walked our way back and stopped by the Tudor House, before making it to Dreamland.
The fameux mini amusement park is THE place to visit with kids bien sûr! You can sit down and enjoy a drink while the little ones watch a movie on the big screen. Or get some tokens and enjoy some rides in the sun!
We did all the classics such as the ghost house, the funny mirrors house and the big wheels! Fabulous view of the coast guaranteed!
Our Last Discoveries
On our last day, we made it towards Birchington after un petit-déjeuner délicieux at the Albion House.
We stopped by the Spitfire and Hurricane Museum, where you can see the iconic Battle of Britain fighters close up. The place is run by volunteers and the entry is free. The collection is quite small, so stop by the RAF Manston History Museum just opposite. The RAF base from 1916 to 1996, now exhibits a large collection of planes.
But the fabulous discovery of the day goes to the Powell-Cotton Museum in the Quex House and Gardens.
This is absoluetly stynning! Pour être honnête, I was expecting a small collection. But the Museum of African & Asian Natural History is worth the journey.
Such a large collection and it was the Japanese Weekend. So we got to see a recital of Tsugaru Shamisen (traditional Japanese music) after taking part in a cute treasure hunt.
And the gardens are beautiful! It’s so big, you can literally spend the day there, have a picnic in the sun, and meet up with friends.
We loved walking around, stopping by to admire the peacock… Before driving to Minnis Bay with some ice creams on the beach.
The Isle of Thanet – Le Verdict
Et voilà! Our weekend on the Isle of Thanet was over! The area has so much to offer!
Whether you are looking for a nice day out in the sun on a sandy beach or something a bit more cultured, la région is THE place to visit this Summer!
We LOVED our weekend on the Kent coast and we will definitely be back for more Frenchie adventures in the future.
We went shopping, enjoyed a day at the beach, and learned so much about British history. Thanet turned out to be more than an original seaside escape.
It has so many family-friendly options, whether you want to relax or truly explore Broadstairs, Margate, Ramsgate and its surroundings.
Other Family-Friendly Places in Thanet
And if you decide to make it longer than a weekend, then here are a few other places we have liked in the past:
- the Hornby Visitor Centre, for lovers of trains and models
- Botany Bays, classic for its white cliffs photos
- Viking Bay right out of Broadstairs
- Westwood Cross Shopping Centre
- Don’t miss the Broadstairs Summer Fireworks that the city offers each year for free!
With a spécial merci to the Visit Thanet’s team who invited us pour l’occasion. And all the beautiful locations that made our press stay so magique as well:
- the Albion House: https://albionhouseramsgate.co.uk/
- the Micro Museum: https://www.themicromuseum.org/
- the Waverly House Margate: https://waverleyhousemargate.co.uk/
- the Margate Caves: https://www.margatecaves.co.uk/
- Dreamland Margate: https://www.dreamland.co.uk/
- the Spitfire & Hurricane Museum: https://www.spitfiremuseum.org.uk/
- the Powell-Cotton Museum: https://powell-cottonmuseum.org/
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Visit Thanet. All opinions are my own.
Never heard of this place – somewhere I’d love to see first hand – looks so peace
Another lovely visit for you. I visited Margate many years ago, no doubt it has changed over the years. I like the idea of the Micro Museum
I never knew Margate had so much to offer. The last time I went to Margate was when I was a kid, no more than 10 years old, but if I remember correctly, we spent the whole day at the beach as we never really stayed overnight night in places when I was young.
This is why I love reading your blogs. You have introduced me to so many nice places in the UK that I never knew about, and it’s so nice that you introduce some kid friendly stuff too. Going to hint to my husband now that we’re going to Margate this summer
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Oh I am so happy I am inspiring you to visit new places. We love nothing more than an adventure like this one.
I had never heard of the Isle Of Thanet before reading this. There are so many good attractions and your hotel looks fabulous!
Wow looks great!
this looks great
this place looks beautiful
Must put this place on my bucket list, looks great!