1 month in…Whitstable, Ramsgate, Broadstairs?

[OctoberLeaf]

Hi all,
DH and I have the opportunity to ‘work from anywhere’ next summer, so thinking of packing up and decamping to the UK seaside for a month next August. Want to be easy drive/train from (South) London, and want things to do in a town if weather doesn’t play ball.

Beyond that, very easy. 2 primary age kids. Have done short breaks in Whitstable and Deal before, loved both. Seems you get more for your money in Ramsgate, and hear good things about Broadstairs.

I would love Rye but ideally don’t want to drive to beach, I understand that’s a harbour and a drive to eg. Camber Sands.

Any thoughts welcome! Thanks

Camber is a bus ride from Rye or an easy walk or cycle - there is a really good path laid out.

Broadstairs is a lovely little town. Lots of nice pubs, restaurants and cafes. Morellis - a fifties Italian coffee and ice cream bar with its orginal fittings is a gem. They have a folk festival every August, even if folk music isn't your thing it is a great atmosphere - the whole town is alive with music and dancing and there are a lot of impromptu free gigs in local pubs and on the seafront You can also walk to Ramsgate in about 40 mins on a lovely cliff top walk.

If you are used to London it will feel very small and facilities are limited.

Ramsgate has a beautiful beach and some nice areas (and the biggest Wetherspoons in the Country!) but it is a bit shabby and frayed at the edges (Thanet is not a very wealthy area and there are pockets of deprivation).

Broadstairs definitely.

Camber gets ridiculously busy in the summer. Gridlocked roads and recently the council increased parking to something ridiculous like £30 a day. It’s not even that nice there its pretty much just the beach. I would probably head to broadstairs

Hmm. Broadstairs is lovely, but depending on where you're staying, it can be a real trek uphill with a pushchair. The Festival is fun, but you really have to like Folk music!! Whitstable-expensive and I think I'd be out of my mind with boredom after a fortnight.
I might actually go for Margate.

I wouldn't stay in Margate all summer with toddlers. It's very much a party town and there are outdoor gigs at Dreamland all summer long which are loud!

It is true there is A LOT of folk music in Folk week - I can only do small doses.

Also the Hooden Horses can be a bit much for non Kent people!

Thank you all SO much. Lots to think about including a great google of Hooden horses. Children are 6 and 4, if that makes a difference for hills etc. Perhaps I’m dreaming (especially given this summer’s weather) but I’m hoping for a kind of famous five at the seaside vibe. Slow pace of life, small cottage, sand/rockpools, bags of chips….

All seaside towns will be horribly rammed with visitors at the height of summer, slow pace of life it isn't! Unless your cottage is outwith a touristy town in the countryside.

What's your budget? I'd be surprised if there's many cottages still available for 4 weeks next summer, and you might pay upwards of £6K for the privilege. Your options therefore might be limited by availability and budget.

Camber Sands is 3 miles from Rye.
Lovely walk but not ideal as beach access with kids.

OP, is the easy drive / train journey because you will need to go back and forth?

What about Hastings? Yes, good and bad bits, but cinema, lots to do, skate park, probably cheaper accommodation, and a train line that easily takes you to other nice places to visit, including Rye, Bexhill, Eastbourne.

Just back from a week in Broadstairs and would happily stay for a month! It’s ace.

thanks all for the thoughts.
@Sommerled I’ve seen quite a lot still available on seaside cottage websites between 4-6k for the month of Aug 24

@MarshyMcMarshFace don’t think we’ll need to commute but I am sole driver and one child gets very carsick so longer drives are horrible. Also most of our family is SE so would mean summer holiday visits from them.

@MiniMaxi so glad you had a great time, whereabouts did you stay?

@MarshyMcMarshFace will also look at Hastings, thanks!

@OctoberLeaf we had an Airbnb near the centre of town - it’s quite expensive in school holidays though (£1500 a week ish) so if I was going for a month I’d stay further out. The area towards Stone Bay is very nice.

Another option would be to stay in one of the areas near Margate - eg Palm Bay. Margate itself is a bit marmite I think, on the up but still down at heel in many parts. But lots of nice relaxed areas nearby.

I’m sorry but I can’t believe anyone is recommending Camber. We were gobsmacked with how utterly dire the place was. Sure, the scenery is beautiful and the dunes are pretty. But the beach itself is very meh. The water is a horrible grey colour, and it’s constantly windy.

It was heaving, so must be popular and attractive to some!

We stood next to a family where the dad was openly smoking a weed joint in-front of his kids, whilst his 14 year old daughter lit up a cigarette. It seemed a very sad place, I haven’t seen those levels of deprivation in the UK before and we are from near Manchester.

I couldn’t wait to leave. Horrible horrible place.

Camber is ok. It is very popular with day trippers from London, it has a Pontins holiday camp which is often used out of season for music events, so that may have informed so of the atmosphere you experienced.

To say it is one of the most deprived places you hav ever seen is hilarious. It is a 40 min walk from Rye, which is a very beautiful and well heeled historic town.

However, a lot of towns on the East Sussex and Kent coast aren't as well off as people expect them to be - all the places the OP mentions have fairly run down and deprived areas.

I'd consider going to another (less crowded and nicer!) place if you have a whole month to stay somewhere.