The Walk: A walk at low tide on mainly sandy beaches beneath low chalk cliffs, taking in the historic port of Ramsgate, the popular resort of Broadstairs, several sandy coves, and ending at the now-trendy resort of Margate.
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| Sea arch, Kingsgate Bay |
Route
NB The map shows my route, with various diversions and excursions which you may not wish to follow precisely.
The main walk along the beaches is shown in BLUE. From one of the waterside car parks (I show the Military Road car park on the harbourside), you can make an optional circuit around the marina and harbour, including the lighthouse (1842) on the West Pier and the Port Control building on the East Pier. Then head past the Royal Victoria Pavilion (aka Wetherspoons) and out along Ramsgate Main Beach.
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| Ramsgate Royal Harbour |
Assuming the tide is out, you can continue along the beach all the way, passing through Dumpton Bay, Broadstairs (aka Viking Bay), Stone Bay, Joss Bay, Kingsgate Bay, Botany Bay, Palm Bay, Walpole Bay and Margate Sands.
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| Stone Bay |
As an alternative to the beach, the England Coast Path follows the sea wall promenade where it exists, and the clifftop where it does not. There are access points at all the bays noted above. Between Ramsgate and Broadstairs, there are several sets of steps linking the clifftop and sea wall promenade.
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| Steps linking clifftop and promenade |
Return to Ramsgate on the train and walk back to your parked car. The RED route on the map reaches the waterfront via some of the heritage areas of the town.
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| Georgian Terrace, Guildford Lawn, Ramsgate |
Why do it?
Ramsgate is a historic port. The Royal Harbour structures are Grade 2* listed, and the town has several terraces of Georgian houses.
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| Jacob's Well steps (1826) |
Broadstairs has been a popular traditional seaside resort since Victorian times. The sandy bay is looked over by 'Bleak House', formerly known as Fort House, where Dickens stayed, and where he wrote David Copperfield.
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| 'Bleak House', Broadstairs |
Around low tide, it is possible to walk between Ramsgate and Broadstairs along the sandy beach. Beyond Broadstairs, the beach becomes rockier, is covered at high tide, and there is no sea wall serving as a promenade. Perhaps for these reasons, fewer people are encountered on this section. The route visits three sandy bays (Joss Bay - overlooked by North Foreland Lighthouse- Kingsgate Bay - overlooked by the crenelated Victorian pastiche Kingsgate Castle - and Botany Bay) which are very pretty yet have somehow escaped tourist development.
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| North Foreland Lighthouse overlooks Joss Bay |
From Foreness Point (home to a prominent waste water processing plant), the sea wall promenade resumes for most of the way to Margate, although again, at low tide you can stick to the sandy beaches if you prefer. At Walpole Bay, there is an impressive tidal seawater swimming pool created by a concrete wall dam.
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| Tidal swimming pool, Walpole Bay |
Margate is a trendy 'shabby chic' destination. The Turner Contemporary gallery celebrates the association with the great artist JMW Turner and has spurred several upmarket eateries to set up in the vicinity.
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| Turner Contemporary, Margate |
Margate Sands are always popular with day visitors. The Dreamland amusement park has listed status for its wooden roller coaster and cinema. A succession of owners have struggled to run the park profitably. The town is incongruously overlooked by the isolated brutalist tower block, Arlington House.
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| Margate beach |
Logistics:
By car, start by parking in one of the sea front car parks (charge).
Finish at Margate rail station, and return to Ramsgate by train (frequent service: it takes only about 10 minutes). It is about a 30 minute walk from Ramsgate Station back to the waterfront: the route shown on the map takes in the Georgian terraces of Guildford Lawn, Liverpool Lawn and Spencer Square, descending down to the harbour using the Jacobs Ladder staircase.
There is also a regular bus service between Margate and Ramsgate: the Loop service operated by Stagecoach: check web for latest timetable.
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| Javelin Trains run high speed from London to Ebbsfleet, then slow speed around the Thanet coast |
Distance: 9.5 miles along the beaches from Ramsgate waterfront to Margate Station, plus about 1.5 miles from Ramsgate Station back to the waterfront.
Challenges:
The beach walk is only possible around low tide: the 2 hour window either side of low tide should be adequate (ie 4 hours in all). Mostly, it is possible to escape onto the sea wall promenade if the tide comes in, except between Broadstairs and Foreness Point, where there is no escape up the chalk cliffs.
The beaches are generally sandy. Away from the resorts and bays, there are areas covered in sharp flint stones and some wavecut chalk benches, but it should still be possible, with care, to thread your way through on a sandy strip. Sometimes this necessitates walking close to the cliffs, in which case there is always the (remote) risk of a rockfall.
Otherwise, you can follow the signed England Coast Path, which follows sea wall promenades where available, and the clifftop path where it is not. There are some stretches where private housing bars the way, and it is necessary to follow diversions inland beside roads.
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| No escape: Beach and massive sea defences nearing Joss Bay |
Refreshments: Several cafes and pubs along Ramsgate waterfront, for example the Ship Shape Cafe on the Military Road, and Wetherspoons, housed in the impressive Royal Victoria Pavilion.
Numerous eateries on or overlooking Broadstairs Beach.
Cafe at Joss Bay.
Pub at Kingsgate Bay.
Kiosk at Botany Bay
Numerous options in Margate, for example several bars and restaurants along the Harbour Arm.
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| Ship Shape cafe, Ramsgate |
Nearby Walks:
For an overview map of all my coast walks see this page.
To the South: Pegwell Bay to Ramsgate
To the West: Margate to Whitstable TBD. (I have covered it as a bike ride in this blog, which follows the Viking Way - essentially the England Coast Path - from Whitstable round to Ramsgate.)
More Photos
Overcast day with some sunny intervals in late February
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| Ramsgate Harbour Home for Smack Boys (!) |
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| Marina, Ramsgate Royal Harbour |
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| Wetherspoons, Royal Victoria Pavilion |
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| Royal Victoria Pavilion |
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| Ramsgate Beach |
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| Ramsgate Beach (entrance to Ramsgate Tunnels, used as shelters during WW2) |
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| Sea wall prom |
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| End of sea wall between Ramsgate and Broadstairs |
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| Dumpton Gap |
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| There are some impressive coastal defence works |
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| Broadstairs in the distance |
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| Broadstairs |
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| Broadstairs |
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| Beach becomes more stony North of Broadstairs |
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| Private tunneled steps |
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| Kingsgate Bay |
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| Kingsgate Castle |
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| Sea Arch, Kingsgate Bay |
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| Kingsgate Castle seen from the sea arch |
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| Amongst the cliffs |
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| Botany Bay |
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| Wavecut chalk bench. Foreness Point in the distance |
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| Waste water treatment plant, Foreness Point |
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| Beach access ramp, Foreness Point |
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| Chalk bench, Palm Bay |
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| Palm Bay (sea wall promenade covered in sand) |
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| Approaching Margate |
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| Gormley statue from his 'Another Time', in the sea at Turner Contemporary |
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| Margate Harbour Arm |
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| At the end of the Harbour Arm |
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| Restaurant on the Harbour Arm |
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| Old Harbour Office and Turner Contemporary |
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| Dreamland and Arlington Tower |
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| Stained glass window, Ramsgate Public Library |
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| Georgian terrace, Spencer Square, Ramsgate |
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| Vincent van Gogh spent some time teaching at a school in Ramsgate, and lodged at a house in Spencer Square |
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| Van Gogh bust, Spencer Square |
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| Ramsgate, East Pier |
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