Why visit Margate
Townapedia lists 39 museums and landmarks, 29 parks and trails, 235 places to eat, 18 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include North Foreland Lighthouse, Theatre Royal, Shell Grotto and Tudor House.
Weather in Margate
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Margate
Margate () is a seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of 2 miles (3 kilometres) long, 16 miles (26 kilometres) north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay and Westbrook. In 2011 it had a population of 61,223.
From the Wikipedia article Margate (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Margate on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photos of Margate
Things to do4
North Foreland Lighthouse
Lighthouse · 2.6 mi
Lighthouse at North Foreland, England
Margate Lighthouse
Lighthouse · 0.7 mi
Lighthouse in Margate, Kent, England
Museums and landmarks39
Dickens House
Museum · 2.9 mi
House in Broadstairs and St. Peters, Thanet, Kent, England, UK
Powell-Cotton Museum, Quex House and Gardens
Museum · 3.3 mi
Museum in Birchington, Kent, England, United Kingdom
Quex Park
Museum · 3.0 mi
UK historic house museum in Birchington-on-Sea, Kent, England, UK
Margate Caves
Monument and historic site · 0.6 mi
Northdown Road, Margate
10:00-16:30
Drapers Windmill
Monument and historic site
Jun-Jul Su 14:00-16:00; Aug Sa,Su 14:00-16:00
Hornby Hobbies Visitor Centre
Museum · 1.0 mi
Enterprise Road, Margate
Mo-Su 10:00-16:00
27 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds29
Dreamland Margate
Sports field and stadium · 0.4 mi
Seaside amusement park in Margate, England
Marine Terrace, Margate
17 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes235
Dive
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.8 mi
6 Harbour Arm Stone Pier, Margate
Mo-Th off; Fr 17:30-23:00; Sa 13:00-16:00,17:30-23:00; Su 11:00+
Giant Coffee Margate
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.6 mi
5 Market Street, Margate
Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00; Sa 09:00-17:00; Su 09:00-16:00
Seaside Kitchen & Cake Parlour
Bakery · Burger, Cake, Ice Cream, Sandwich · 0.6 mi
24 Hawley Street, Margate
Mo-Sa 11:00-17:00; Su 11:00-16:00
223 more on the map.
History
Margate was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as lying within the hundred of Thanet and the county of Kent.
Margate was recorded as "Meregate" in 1264 and as "Margate" in 1299, but the spelling continued to vary into modern times. The name is thought to refer to a pool gate or gap in a cliff where pools of water are found, often allowing swimmers to jump in. The cliffs of the Isle of Thanet are composed of chalk, a fossil-bearing rock.
Margate gives its name to the relatively unknown yet influential Battle of Margate, starting on 24 March 1387, it was the last major naval battle of the Caroline War phase of the Hundred Years' War. Despite the battle being named after Margate, very little actually happened near the coastal town - the battle is named after Margate as this was where an English fleet of 51 vessels that was anchored at Margate Roadstead first spotted a Franco-Castilian-Flemish wine fleet of around 250-360 vessels. The English gave chase after the undermanned wine fleet and finally defeated the fleet a day later on 25 March 1387 off the coast of Cadzand, Zeeland, Netherlands.
Read more of the history
The town's history is tied closely to the sea and it has a proud maritime tradition. Margate was a "limb" of Dover in the ancient confederation of the Cinque ports. It was added to the confederation in the 15th century. Margate has been a leading seaside resort for at least 250 years. Like its neighbour Ramsgate, it has been a traditional holiday destination for Londoners drawn to its sandy beaches. Margate had a Victorian jetty which was largely destroyed by a storm in 1978.
In the late 18th century, the town was chosen by the physician John Coakley Lettsom as the place in which he would build the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital, which was the first of its kind in Britain.
Like Brighton and Southend, Margate was infamous for gang violence between mods and rockers in the 1960s, and mods and skinheads in the 1980s.
The Turner Contemporary art gallery occupies a prominent position next to the harbour, and was constructed there with the specific aim of revitalising the town. The Thanet Offshore Wind Project, completed in 2010, is visible from the seafront.
From the History section of Margate on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Margate
Economy
At the 2001 UK census, the economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 33.8% in full-time employment, 11.8% in part-time employment, 8.0% self-employed, 5.5% unemployed, 2.2% students with jobs, 3.9% students without jobs, 15.5% retired, 8.3% looking after home or family, 7.9% permanently sick or disabled and 3.6% economically inactive for other reasons. The rate of unemployment in the town was considerably higher than the national rate of 3.4%.
The industry of employment of residents was 17% retail, 16% health & social work, 13% manufacturing, 9% construction, 8% real estate, 8% education, 7% transport & communications, 5% public administration, 6% hotels & restaurants, 2% finance, 1% agriculture and 6% other community, social or personal services. Compared to national figures, the town had a relatively high number of workers in the construction, hotels & restaurants and health & social care industries and a relatively low number in real estate and finance.
Arts and culture
For at least 250 years, Margate has been a leading seaside resort in the UK, drawing Londoners to its beaches, Margate Sands. The bathing machines in use at Margate were described in 1805 as:
four-wheeled carriages, covered with canvas, and having at one end of them an umbrella of the same materials which is let down to the surface of the water, so that the bather descending from the machine by a few steps is concealed from the public view, whereby the most refined female is enabled to enjoy the advantages of the sea with the strictest delicacy.
The Dreamland Amusement Park is situated in the centre of Margate, operating since 1920, it was closed in 2006, and reopened in 2015 following a lengthy campaign by the "Save Dreamland Campaign" group. Its Scenic Railway roller coaster is the second oldest of its type in the world, and is now Grade II* listed. It is one of only two early-20th century scenic railways still remaining in the UK; the only other surviving UK scenic railway is in Great Yarmouth and was built in 1932. The Margate roller coaster is an ACE Coaster Classic. On 27 January 2026, Dreamland announced the permanent closure of the Scenic Railway. The ride had been closed since August 2024 following a derailing incident.
From the Wikipedia article Margate, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Margate
Alfred DellerCountertenor singer (1912–1979)Photo: Cyan22, CC BY-SA 3.0
Ollie RobinsonBritish cricketer (born 1993)Photo: Dave Morton, Public domain
David Adamsbaseball playerPhoto: Keith Allison on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Edward CloddEnglish banker, writer and anthropologist (1840-1930)Photo: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0
Andrew GaultBritish politician (1882-1958)Photo: Wm. Notman & Son, Public domain
Mike StockBritish record producer, songwriterPhoto: MPG, CC BY-SA 4.0
Andrew LawrenceBritish astrophysicistPhoto: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0- Ana Lily AmirpourBritish-born American filmmaker
- David WatkinBritish cinematographer (1925–2008)
- BryherEnglish novelist, poet, memoirist, and magazine editor (1894-1983)
- Ballard BerkeleyBritish actor of stage and screen (1904–1988)
- Richard LamingBritish chemist (1798-1879)
Born in Margate, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay18
Westbrook Lodge Guest House
Motel and hotel · 1.1 mi
9 Westcliff Gardens, Margate
Churches and places of worship25
St Michael and St Bishoy Orthodox Coptic Church
Church · Orthodox · 0.6 mi
Northdown Road, Margate
Shopping40
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries17
Margate, Holy Trinity and St John's Church of England Primary School
School · Anglican
St. John's Road, Margate
Healthcare14
Map of Margate
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Manston Airport (MSE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Saint Peters 2 mi southeast, about 3 min by car
- Broadstairs 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- Ramsgate 3 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- Herne Bay 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Whitstable 16 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Faversham 22 mi west, about 35 min by car
- Hythe 25 mi southwest, about 40 min by car
- Sheerness 27 mi west, about 44 min by car
- Sittingbourne 28 mi west, about 46 min by car
- Southend-on-Sea 31 mi west, about 50 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Margate
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- The Parade, Margate, Poliphilo, CC0
- Dickens House Broadstairs Kent England, Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Entrance facade to Powell-Cotton Museum at Quex Park Birchington Kent England, Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cannon and south front of Quex House Birchington Kent England, Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Midweek Birthday Margate Mini-Break-3220160816 (29052138755), Ruth Johnston from United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0
- St Laurence Ramsgate 1, Josh Tilley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Turner Contemporary gallery, DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2008-08-24 MargateGrotto, Gernot Keller www.gernot-keller.com, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Tudor house margate, Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 10 Duke Street, Margate, November 2021, No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 38 Hawley Square, Margate, November 2021, No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cecil Square Baptist Church, Margate, April 2023 07, No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 16 and 18 King Street, Margate, November 2021, No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Stephen's Methodist Church, Cliftonville, November 2021 01, No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- All Saints Westbrook 1, Josh Tilley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Church of St Paul, Margate, July 2021 (1), No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Former Congregational Church, Union Crescent, Margate, April 2023 01, No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St James Westgate 4, Josh Tilley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St-marys-chapel-broadstairs, Le Deluge, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shell-grotto-margate, Alby, CC0
- Crab Museum, Margate, Bex Walton, CC BY 4.0
- North Foreland Lighthouse (48929551263), Reading Tom from Reading, UK, CC BY 2.0
- A Break in the Journey at Carl Freedman Gallery, Frida1984, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, asturksever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, asturksever, CC BY-SA 4.0
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