Broadstairs combines coastal scenery with literary and local history. The long sandy bay of Viking Bay and the Dickens House Museum show two different sides of the destination; Botany Bay adds activities that depend on the tides. When planning your trip, you can first consider whether the coast, literature or local history should take priority.
Bays with different highlights
Viking Bay has a long sandy bay, a clifftop promenade and a wooden pier. Botany Bay offers something different: it provides views of white cliffs and striking chalk formations; at low tide, the bay is suitable for fossil hunting and exploring rock pools. The timing of the tides is crucial for these activities. Joss Bay is 200 metres long and is considered Thanet’s best surfing beach. The differences are clear: Viking Bay combines a sandy bay with coastal structures, Botany Bay pairs chalk formations with tide-dependent activities, and Joss Bay is a surfing beach.
Dickens heritage at the museum
The Dickens House Museum explores Charles Dickens’s long-standing connection with Broadstairs from 1837 to 1851. Visitors can see letters about Broadstairs, Dickens’s writing box and a mahogany sideboard in the exhibition. There is also an extensive collection of prints by H. K. Browne, known as “Phiz”, Dickens memorabilia, Victorian costumes and Victoriana, as well as an exhibition about “Our English Watering Place”. The collection ranges from written records and prints to costumes and Victoriana; the exhibition about “Our English Watering Place” offers a broader view of Broadstairs.
Local history on a trail and tour
If you prefer to explore local history on a walk or with a guide, there are two more options. The Broadstairs Town Trail offers insights into the town’s history and some of its people and buildings, with ten illustrated panels and a guidebook. The St Peter’s Village Tour offers another historical perspective: visitors encounter many costumed characters from past centuries and hear about local conditions in the workhouse. It involves less than a mile of walking on level ground. The formats differ too: the trail uses panels and a guidebook, while the village tour combines costumed characters with less than a mile of level walking. The tour programme may change with the seasons, and the route may also change. If you plan to take this tour, check the current description.
A festival with a culinary focus
The Broadstairs Food Festival adds a culinary focus to the coast. It features cooking demonstrations, talks with authors, and presentations by food and nutrition experts. It also brings together independent producers from Kent, the wider region and beyond. This makes it appealing to visitors who want to include food, conversations and expert perspectives in their stay. The specific programme and participating producers may vary between editions. If you are planning your visit around a particular demonstration, talk or producer, check the programme for that edition.
Discover more destinations: Romney Marsh, Throwley Forstal, Benenden, Tenterden, Kingsdown, Lydd, Biddenden, Seasalter
For the broader travel overview: Kent.
