Man of Kent (and woman)...

[rich p]

Don't call me a Kent, you Kent

I'm about to book a long weekend in Kent as it's somewhere different and not a long drive for me.
A friend suggested the Isle of Thanet for a change. Margate, Ramsgate etc. Turner Gallery, pubs, coastline...
Someone else said we'd be better off in Canterbury or Deal.
Looking at walking, a little flat cycling, beer, food and whatever else.
Any suggestions and advice welcome
@Hill Wimp , @Fab Foodie and others I can't recall.

 

[Beebo]

Stay in Whitstable and cycle the viking coastal path, it is flat and smooth most of the way round to sandwich.
Also nip over to Canterbury via the crab and winkle way, its a bit more hilly.
Plenty of very nice pubs and restaurants.

 

[Salty seadog]

Whitstable, Deal or Canterbury. Canterbury is in the middle of all the other towns mentioned so a fast base to explore from. Deal is ideal for flat cycle routes going out of town.

 

[Fnaar]

 

[Milkfloat]

Most of Thanet is great to travel through, but not ideal for basing yourself in. I agree with @Beebo that Whitstable is a good place to stay, although I think has lost it charm a little bit over the last few years. Watch out for the road surfaces though, there are some real shockers around.

 

[rich p]

Cheers.
Is Margate not worth staying in for a reason?

 

[Milkfloat]

Cheers.
Is Margate not worth staying in for a reason?

Think Blackpool, but worse. I will be generous and call it rough and ready. If you wanted to be located near there I would suggest Broadstairs or Birchington.

 

[Beebo]

Cheers.
Is Margate not worth staying in for a reason?

Margate is a bit run down, it is worth a visit but i wouldnt stay in margate.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Deal is fab, quiet, bohemian, good pubs and eateries, nice easy cycling, history and ready access to Canterbury, Sandwich, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate. I think Whitstable is a bit overrated.

Canterbury is nice if you want something bigger. Ramagate has interest, Margate has the art gallery and Sand, Broadstairs is pretty and has Dickens.
Cycling the coast from Whitstable to Deal is almost 40 miles of car-free loveliness.

From Deal there’s a good walks over the cliffs to St Margarets bay and the coastguard pub. The other direction is flat alonh pegwell bay to Princess golf club and Sandwich.

Let’s us know when you plan to come down and we’ll make sure we’re away....

 

[Milkfloat]

Do you have accommodation yet? If not I am sure @Hill Wimp would be happy that I linked to this - https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/good-and-cheap-accommodation-in-deal-and-sandwich.242818/

Just note - I don't think House Keeper duties involve picking up your grundies.

 

[Salty seadog]

Deal is fab, quiet, bohemian, good pubs and eateries, nice easy cycling, history and ready access to Canterbury, Sandwich, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate. I think Whitstable is a bit overrated.

Canterbury is nice if you want something bigger. Ramagate has interest, Margate has the art gallery and Sand, Broadstairs is pretty and has Dickens.
Cycling the coast from Whitstable to Deal is almost 40 miles of car-free loveliness.

From Deal there’s a good walks over the cliffs to St Margarets bay and the coastguard pub. The other direction is flat alonh pegwell bay to Princess golf club and Sandwich.

Let’s us know when you plan to come down and we’ll make sure we’re away....

You seem to have missed out Dover on that fairly comprehensive list of SE Kent towns. .

We have the jewel in the English heritage Crown. There's the roman painted house and my badly painted house.

 

[Brains]

Broadstairs is the jewel in the Crown of The isle of Thanet
Its's a bit like a Cornish sea side town, steep road down the harbour

All the beaches between Margate to Ramsgate are sand, proper sandcastle sand, all other beaches Whistable, Deal etc. are shingle
Margate has a few nice bits, but think Blackpool on the cheap. Ramsgate also is interesting, both are worth a visit, but there are better places to stay in Broadstairs and Deal
Sandwich looks interesting, but not a lot there.

Canterbury is a different sort of trip, as it's a city.
Lots of history, you could easily spend a weekend just wandering around the old city centre.
The cathedral takes a couple of hours at least, and there is a castle, city walls, museums, shops, pubs,

Cycling wise, you can cycle from Whistable to Deal on the coast via Margate/Ramsgate and then back via the Wansum/St Nicholas at Wade, nearly all on cycle path.
It's idyllic.

Thanet was where micropubs were invented, consequently there are loads of them, there is a 20 mile circuit of the island that visits 10 of them. You may require a tandem and non-drinking person up front to do the lot!

 

[Brains]

The Micro pubs of the isle of Thanet

https://www.visitthanet.co.uk/stay-and-eat/eating-and-drinking/micro-pubs/

 

[Brains]

The Micro pubs of the isle of Thanet

View attachment 448444

https://www.visitthanet.co.uk/stay-and-eat/eating-and-drinking/micro-pubs/

Looking at that map, there is a 4 mile car free cycle route called St Peters Path that runs between Margate (4 micropubs) and Broadstairs (5 micropubs).
I think that could take a full day!

 

[rich p]

Do you have accommodation yet? If not I am sure @Hill Wimp would be happy that I linked to this - https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/good-and-cheap-accommodation-in-deal-and-sandwich.242818/

Just note - I don't think House Keeper duties involve picking up your grundies.

I think I'm a bit classier than that...

though others may disagree!
If I find somewhere I'll get some boozer recommendations later.