Margate is a popular Victorian seaside town (Image: Getty)
had been on my list for a while – a seaside escape, a chance to soak up the sun, wander through quirky shops, and maybe even dip my toes in the sea. Dubbed Shoreditch-on-Sea due to its trendy shops, , cafés, and bars, this Victorian seaside town in is popular with tourists in summer.
It is famous for its beach promenade, tidal pool, shell grotto, art gallery, and amusement park, Dreamland. The trendy coastal spot is even linked to famous faces, such as The Libertines, who own a boutique hotel, while artist Tracey Emin calls it home – not to mention that J. M. W. Turner attended school here. Other celebrities, such as Pedro Pascal, Rami Malek, and Emma Corrin, have also been spotted hanging out in the town, which has a population of around 63,000.
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The beach was swarmed with noisy people (Image: Sophie Law)
So, when my husband and I booked a one-night stay in an Airbnb in summer, I was excited. I imagined golden sands, fresh sea air, and a quintessentially British seaside town. The reality, however, was a little different.
The train journey down from London was smooth enough, and as we stepped off onto the platform, the warm, salty breeze was promising on what was one of the hottest days of the year.
We started by wandering through the town, dipping into independent shops and vintage boutiques. I could see why people raved about the town’s artsy side – cafés with pastel-painted exteriors, small galleries with local artwork, and antique stores filled with odd treasures.
After all, it’s been repeatedly named among the best and coolest seaside towns in recent years.
While there were pockets of charm and creativity that felt unique to Margate, for every quirky shop, there was another boarded-up building, a tired-looking street, or a sense of something that had seen better days.
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We saw seagulls fighting over empty food packets (Image: Sophie Law)
Then came the beach. The sun was high, the heat relentless, and we were eager to sit by the sea and cool off. But the moment we stepped onto the sand, disappointment set in.
It was filthy. Seagulls circled overhead like vultures, swooping down to fight over discarded food packets.
People were blasting music from portable speakers, McDonald’s wrappers, empty cans, and fish and chip packets were strewn across the beach, half-buried in the sand.
It smelled distinctly like seaweed and sewage, making it hard to relax without an assault on the senses.
The water, which I had hoped would be a refreshing escape from the heat, was murky and uninviting. It wasn’t the picturesque seaside retreat I had imagined.
Shops and arcades remained boarded up in the centre (Image: Sophie Law)
Determined to salvage the day, we found a restaurant for dinner, a place that had good reviews and looked promising.
After what felt like forever waiting for food, we realised they had forgotten our order entirely. By the time our meals finally arrived, we were the last people in the restaurant. It wasn’t exactly the ending I had hoped for.
It’s obvious there were glimmers of what Margate could be – quirky shops, creative spaces, and the potential for something more.
In 2022, the area of Cliftonville in Margate was voted among Time Out’s ‘coolest’ neighbourhoods in the world. Joining the likes of Colonia Americana in Mexico and Cais do Sodré Lisbon, the neighbourhood was the only one in the UK to make the top 10 in the world.
But the neglect was hard to ignore. Labour’s Helen Whitehead, who is Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, argued that Time Out’s description of “great coffee” and “offbeat attractions” depict a somewhat false narrative.
While some aspects of Margate were quirky, others felt tired (Image: Sophie Law)
“Regeneration should provide a future for everyone. Gentrification doesn’t. And the world described in the Time Out article excludes the reality of most of the residents I work with,” she told in 2022. “Housing here isn’t affordable for most. It’s in a state of hyperinflation, with constant displacement.”
In a survey published by Rightmove in 2022, house prices have risen the most in Margate, having doubled in 10 years. House prices averaged £305,136 over the last year.
In reality, Margate felt more like a ghost of its former self – an attempt at recapturing a golden era that had long since faded away. The beach, the town, even the overall atmosphere – it all felt tired and in obvious need of regeneration.
Would I go back? Probably not. Some places leave you eager to return, but Margate, for me, wasn’t one of them.