Just eighty miles outside of London lies Broadstairs, making the coastal town not only accessible but the perfect location for those looking to escape the city for a while. With beaches, gardens and parks aplenty, as well as strong historical links to the Victorian author Charles Dickens, there’s sure to be something for everyone at Broadstairs.
If you’re interested in staying near the Capital, see our lodges with hot tubs near London page.
An eight-minute drive away from the town centre, Botany Bay is a gem of a beach surrounded by white cliffs and dotted with chalk stacks. With a Blue Flag for water quality, RNLI lifeguards present during the busy seasons and dogs being banned in the daytime from May through to September, it’s arguably one of the safest beaches to visit during your stay. And handily located just above the bay is Botany Bay Hotel. Specialising in locally caught seafood, it makes for a great post-beach eatery.
If it’s adventure you’re after, head to Joss Bay, where Kent’s most established surfing school is situated. Having delivered their high-quality lessons for the past twenty-three years, you’re sure to be in good hands. Learn the basics of surfing and stand-up paddle boarding or develop any abilities you already have. But if you’d rather keep your exercise away from the water, Joss Bay is around two hundred metres long, so plenty of space for a long seaside walk! Or simply rent a deckchair to put your feet up.
Discover 2024’s top lodges with hot tubs in Kent here.
For views overlooking Joss Bay, head to North Foreland Lighthouse on the cliffs. With its past dating back to 1499, it’s great for history buffs and although it’s not necessarily open to the public, it’s the perfect end to the “Historic Broadstairs” section of the Viking Coastal Trail which can be walked or cycled.
A quick drive from Broadstairs is King George VI Memorial Park, complete with open space and plenty of pathways through woodland. Play equipment is available for the little ones to use, whilst the on-site café is perfect if you’ve forgotten anything for your picnic! And within the Memorial Park lies Italianate Glasshouse, containing a wide variety of plants after it was restored in 2005. With a Tea Garden open during the warmer summer months, it’s the perfect spot to sit back with a cream tea and take in the park views.
Nearby in Ramsgate is Albion Place Gardens, an early nineteenth century public garden. With Royal links (Princess Victoria stayed in Albion House in 1830!), it’s sure to impress you on your visit! It’s a great spot to relax in if you’re in Ramsgate for the day and was even mentioned by Jane Austen in Mansfield Park!
And speaking of Victorian novelists, a trip to Dickens House Museum is a must. Based in the cottage that inspired the home of Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield, visitors can see Dickens’ writing box, letters and early editions of his novels. Staffed by volunteers who love the Victorian author, it’s a great opportunity to share their passion and learn more about the man that wrote some of the most famous texts in literary history.
Whilst you might recognise Bleak House as the title of another famous Dicken’s novel, it does in fact exist in Broadstairs! Originally known as Fort House, the author stayed there in the 1850s and 1860s, even writing David Copperfield during his stay. Although the interior is closed to visitors, you’re bound to walk past it by taking the “Historic Broadstairs” route on the Viking Coastal Trail.
And if you want to fully immerse yourself in the life of Dickens’ Broadstairs, visit in June to attend the Broadstairs Dickens Festival, where the town comes to life with talks, performances, fairs and walks. Keep an eye out for the era-appropriately dressed ladies and gentlemen on their afternoon strolls around the town!
North of England
Scotland
East of England
Heart of England
South of England
South West of England
Wales