Beaches in Kent - which one?

[MrsFogi]

Dh and I are going to take the dds (2 and 4) for a day at the beach in Kent at the end of July. Can anyone suggest the best ones for children of this age (I am a Kent beach virgin so any info welcome).

My son goes to the Royal School for Deaf Children in Margate.
They use this beach........
Minnis Bay

Broadstairs beach is splendid and there's a fabulous ice cream shop too!

Second vote for Broadstairs... ice cream shop is Morelli's Also like Deal... but it is pebbles.

Margate, Ramsgate (has a soft play place right by the beach (indoors) if too hot and Broadstairs. We love whitstable too but stony.

I love this thread and would love to do the same - my additional question is though.....
BEST beach if we are getting the train from London???

Thanks in advance

You can get the train from St Pancras to Broadstairs, think it's high-speed most of the way

Word of warning about Minnis Bay- in high summer if they haven't cleared the seaweed, it STINKS.
MIL lives there, and I was once physically sick on a walk due to the stench.
But is a lovely beach.

Depends how you are travelling. By train, Broadstairs most definitely. By car, Joss Bay.

Thanks for all the replies so far - so are Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs sandy beaches?

Yes they are all sandy. But some get entirely covered at high tide. My absolute favourite is Botany Bay - only accessible by car and no beach huts or loos. But it is glorious. If you go onto the Thanet website there are reviews of all the beaches.

By train I think Westgate is great - it's much quieter than Margate/Ramsgate/Broadstairs but has beautiful sand and is great with small kids - has a tidal paddling pool too

oooh those beaches sound nice ladybiscuit - where exactly are botany bay and westgate beaches pls?

thanet beaches

Tankerton along from Whitstable.

Have been to most beaches on Thanet coast over the years.

My favorite is Broadstairs- 10 min walk downhill from train station with buggy, straight onto beach via lift. Morellis on cliff top IS great- old fashioned ice cream bar that sells FANTASTIC sundaes- only way I can get DS (3) off the beach at the end of the day! The high speed rail link is v good- you can pick it up from Stratford, Ebsfleet, Ashford. Otherwise its a drag on the stopping line (I am SE London and its a PITA).

Never been to Westgate- but it sounds great ladybiscuit!

Agree Botany Bay (nice pub on clifftop too) is beautiful- and by far the best if you have a car. Joss bay has great reviews but seemed really open and windy to me- and also need car to get there.

I thought Minnis bay was nothing special. And Whitstable is sadly pebbly.

Margate is lovely beach and v v close to train station- but SCARY- sorry to those who live there bit it has got a bit rough and everything is boarded up... used to love dreamland as a kid too.

Our favorite by train is Brighton- we go straight into the kids play park on beach- it has pool and HUGE sand play area. You can spend hours there and then zoom onto pier! And only 50mins from Victoria!

HTH

PS I know Brighton is not Kent.

Westbrook beach is the best beach in Thanet (grew up there).