North Foreland Lighthouse
Landmark · A 26-metre white lighthouse on the chalk headland at the eastern tip of Thanet, a clifftop walk north of town.
Broadstairs
A sun-drenched Kentish seaside town of sandy bays, chalk cliffs, and Charles Dickens connections.
From King's Cross St Pancras: 1 h 39 min by train · 2 h 39 min by car
Travel times by TravelTime
Time there: 3–7 h to see all 6 places
Get directionsTownBy the seaBeachesCliffsLandmarksMuseums
Must-see places
Dickens House Museum
Museum · The seafront cottage that inspired Betsey Trotwood's home in David Copperfield, now a small museum of Dickens's Broadstairs summers.
Broadstairs Harbour and Jetty
Waterfront · The small working harbour and jetty at the end of Viking Bay, with the bay's cafés, boats and swimmers around it.
Louisa Bay
Beach · A small, quiet sandy cove a short walk south of Viking Bay, backed by chalk cliffs.
Stone Bay Beach
Beach · A sandy bay just north of Viking Bay, with beach huts and year-round swimmers.
Viking Bay Beach
Beach · Broadstairs' main horseshoe beach, with a harbour jetty, beach huts and cafés beneath the clifftop promenade.
Quick facts
Seven golden-sand bays line the chalk-cliff coast, from the busy, family-friendly Viking Bay to quieter coves a short walk away.
Charles Dickens holidayed here regularly between 1837 and 1859, and the town still celebrates him with a seafront museum and a June Dickens Festival where locals dress in Victorian costume.
Viking Bay is a horseshoe of sand with a harbour jetty, beach huts, cafés and ice-cream parlours, about a ten-minute walk from the station.
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