Margate

Arlington House

Arlington House is Margate's unmistakable seafront tower block, built during the 1960s in striking Brutalist style. Its wave-like balconies overlook the beach and harbour, creating dramatic coastal views. Love it or hate it, the concrete giant has become one of Margate's defining modern landmarks.

Royal Sea Bathing Hospital

Founded in 1791, the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital treated tuberculosis patients using sea air, sunlight and seawater therapies. The grand seafront complex later expanded into one of Britain's most important specialist hospitals. Today its imposing columns and restored buildings remain an architectural highlight.

The town Turner came to paint, Eliot came to write, and a generation came back to rebuild.

Canterbury Road

The colourful Bus Café captures Margate's quirky creative energy, while nearby Nayland Rock Shelter became famous when T. S. Eliot drafted parts of The Waste Land there. Overlooking the sands, the 1889 Clock Tower remains Margate's best-known landmark and once featured a working time ball.

Margate Beach and Old Town

Margate Main Sands has attracted visitors for centuries with its golden beach, sunsets and traditional seaside atmosphere. Nearby, Margate Old Town combines cobbled streets, independent shops, cafés and galleries, forming the vibrant historic heart of the town and driving its modern cultural revival.

Margate Attractions

Margate's underground attractions range from historic chalk caves to the mysterious Shell Grotto, decorated with millions of seashells in unexplained patterns. Nearby, the quirky Crab Museum mixes humour with environmental awareness, reflecting Margate's unusual and imaginative approach to modern tourism and culture.

Dreamland

Dreamland is Margate's iconic amusement park, famous for vintage rides, retro entertainment and the historic Scenic Railway rollercoaster. Originally developed in the early twentieth century, the restored attraction now combines seaside nostalgia with concerts, festivals and colourful fairground experiences at the centre of Margate's revival.

Turner Contemporary

Opened in 2011, Turner Contemporary transformed Margate into a major arts destination. Inspired by J. M. W. Turner's love of Margate's skies and coastal light, the gallery hosts world-class exhibitions beside the sea and symbolises the town's remarkable cultural regeneration and creative resurgence.

Day Trip to Canterbury

Just a short train journey from Margate, Canterbury offers medieval streets, peaceful river punting and the magnificent Canterbury Cathedral. The historic city provides a perfect contrast to the seaside, combining centuries of religious history, stunning architecture and one of England's most atmospheric visitor experiences.