The Best Places to Visit in North Kent. In Our Humble Opinion.
Kent doesn't always get the credit it deserves. Sandwiched between London and the Channel, it tends to get driven through rather than stopped in. As someone who grew up in Gloucester, the ‘other side of London’ was an entirely foreign land we only ventured through to get to France one time. Here, in our entirely objective and not at all biased opinion, are the places worth stopping for.
Margate
Margate has had quite the glow-up. Once the slightly faded grande dame of British seaside resorts, it has spent the last decade reinventing itself as one of the most creatively exciting towns on the Kent coast – and without losing any of the things that made it great in the first place. The penny pushers are still there. So is the candyfloss. But also, now, a world class art gallery.
The Turner Contemporary sits right on the seafront – free to enter, with rotating exhibitions and a lovely gift shop. We have a bit of a gallery/museum gift shop habit at X Hunts, we’ll get help. Dreamland, Britain's oldest amusement park, has been lovingly restored, is exactly as fun as it sounds and the gig line up over the summer attracts some of the biggest names around. The Old Town is full of independent shops, vintage finds and cafes that will make you want to move there.
Margate rewards the curious. Shop the Margate hunt here.
Getting there: Direct trains from London St Pancras take around 1 hour 20 minutes.
Whitstable
As a friend of mine says, Whitstable is a viiiiiiiibe. It is indeed a vibe. It has a working harbour, a high street that has somehow resisted every chain restaurant (though Zizzi’s has managed to tuck themselves into a side road somehow), beaches that face directly onto the Thames Estuary (but like the nice bit, not sewage-y), and an atmosphere that is genuinely difficult to replicate. People visit for a weekend and usually start looking up house prices.
The oysters are as good as everyone says – eat them at the harbour, ideally with a view of the fishing boats. And if oysters aren’t your thing, try some of the other excellent food on offer. The independent shops on the high street are excellent for gifts, homewares and things you didn't know you needed. I bought a stuffed capybara from one, I’m an adult and it’s my money. Tankerton Beach, just east of the town, is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Kent, with views across the estuary and a peculiar strip of shingle called The Street that extends out into the sea at low tide.
Whitstable is the kind of place that rewards those who slow down. Slow down and shop the Whitstable hunt here.
Getting there: Trains from London Victoria take around 1 hour 20 minutes, often with a change at Faversham.
Canterbury
Canterbury has been drawing visitors for nearly a thousand years which is an impressive track record. The Cathedral is one of the finest in Europe, the medieval city walls are somewhat intact, and the old town is a tangled maze of timber-framed buildings and ancient alleyways that rewards anyone who looks up from their device. Oooo also there’s a really good wine bar called Corkk where you get to play with wine dispensing machines!
Shop the Canterbury hunt here.
Getting there: High speed trains from London St Pancras take around 1 hour 20 minutes.
Rochester
Rochester is one of those towns that Londoners have been meaning to visit for years and never do, which is their loss. Forty five minutes from St Pancras and you're on the riverbank, looking at a Norman castle keep that is one of the best preserved in England, a Cathedral that has been standing since the seventh century, and a high street so Dickensian because Dickens himself lived nearby, loved it, and set several novels here. He had excellent taste.
Most visitors leave wondering why they waited so long. Don't be one of them. Shop the Rochester hunt here.
Getting there: High speed trains from London St Pancras take around 45 minutes.
Broadstairs
Broadstairs doesn't need much introduction – Viking Bay is one of the most beautiful bays on the Kent coast as you can see above, the town is charming and compact, and it has its own Dickens connection. He wrote David Copperfield here, since you ask, and you can visit Dickens House Museum. It's smaller and quieter than Margate and Whitstable, which makes it a perfect place to slow down and stare out to sea. Whilst shovelling fish and chips into your face.
We’re adding it to the X Hunts collection at some point, watch this space!
Getting there: Trains from London St Pancras take around 1 hour 30 minutes.
Explore Any of These Properly
If you want to go beyond the obvious and into the details many visitors walk straight past – that's exactly what you can do with an X Hunt. We make self-guided outdoor clue hunts set in historic UK towns and cities, and we have hunts in Margate, Whitstable, Canterbury and Rochester. Paper based, no app, no guide, no booking. Just a booklet and your curiosity.
Find the full collection at xhunts.co.uk