Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
by
Turner Contemporary
, an art gallery (
&
01843/233000;
www.turner
contemporary.org), which opened in April 2011, to celebrate the artist J. M. W.
Turner. He first came here to go to school at age 11, he returned to sketch here at age
21, and from the 1820s until his death in 1851, he was a regular visitor. He told writer
and art critic John Ruskin that “…the skies over Thanet are the loveliest in all
Europe,” and more than 100 of his works, including his famous seascapes, were
inspired by the East Kent coast.
The modernist building is on the site of the Cold Harbour guesthouse, where
Turner regularly stayed. It recreates the sea and quayside views that the artist saw.
The gallery, the biggest exhibition space in the Southeast outside London, features
changing exhibitions of Turner's work, along with that of other artists.
Alongside the gallery, the
Harbour Arm,
a concrete pier that protects the sea-
front, has been revamped into a happening place. There's also the
Lighthouse Bar
(
&
07980/727668
), smart and modern with a wood-burning stove;
BeBeached
(
&
07961/402612;
www.bebeached.co.uk), a “real food cafe” with veggie tenden-
cies; a gallery used by local artists, and
Caitlin's Beach Cruisers
(
&
07956/395896;
www.caitlinsbeachcruisers.com), which rents out restored and retro bicycles.
The seafront
Dreamland
amusement park (www.dreamlandmargate.com) is
being reborn as a “heritage” amusement park in a multimillion-pound project; its
Scenic Railway wooden rollercoaster (which was here when the park opened in 1921)
is being refurbished and joined by historic rides rescued from around the U.K. The
listed Art Deco cinema is being restored, too, and will open as a concert venue, the
grounds are being restored to their former glory, and the place will be full of the
sights, sounds, and smells of a classic amusement park. Completion is tentatively
scheduled for sometime in 2012.
All these are within a few yards of each other, and facing the sea. In one direction
are
Margate Main Sands,
a long stretch of golden sand that still has charms from
past times such as donkey rides and deckchairs. On the promenade (The Parade), you
can gorge on fish and chips, candy floss (cotton candy), and cockles and whelks, but
you'll also come across trendy cafes, such as the Harbour Cafe Bar. On the other side
of the Harbour Arm a narrower, but far longer, beach stretches up to the grander
Cliftonville area. Dip into Margate's old town and you'll find the Creative Quarter,
with a growing number of individual shops and galleries.
One other quirky attraction is the
Shell Grotto
(
&
01843/220008;
www.shell
grotto.co.uk). Below ground, 4.6 million sea shells cover 20m (70 ft.) of tunnels lead-
ing to an oblong chamber. The result is beautiful, Roman-like in execution (cockles,
whelks, and oysters create trees of life, gods, and even an altar), but it's a mystery. It
was discovered when the ground fell while a farmer dug a duck pond in 1835, and no
one has any idea who built it. There's some suggestion that it was a sun temple, with
rays entering through a hole in a small dome at summer solstice. Whatever the
answer, it really is somewhere that will leave you speechless. There's also a small
museum, Eighth Wonder Cafe and, of course, a shop. It's open daily from Good
Friday to Halloween, 10am to 5pm; in winter, it's open weekends only, 11am to 4pm.
Admission for adults is £3, £1.50 children 4 to 16.
Where to Eat
The Sportsman
ENGLISH At this gastropub
par excellence,
chef/owner
Stephen Harris has a Michelin star for his modern take on country food. Here they
even make their own salt from buckets of seawater (the pub is just off the beach at
6
