50 ways to enjoy Kent's coast this summer - part three
Above: Dungeness Lightouse, Kent (Kent Life Magazine)
Above: Hit the beach with Margate's Kite Festival (Kent Life Magazine)
Above: Seal watching in Kent - educational family fun! (Kent Life Magazine)
Keeping the kids entertained over the summer is one of life’s greatest challenges, and keeping yourself entertained at the same time is even harder. Here’s our guide to some of the best days out on Kent’s coast, for the whole family
WHAT: The Shell Grotto
WHERE: Margate
WHY: A real-life mystery
A series of underground rooms and passageways covered by 2,000 square feet of exquisite shell mosaic. Sounds boring? Well, it acts as an accurate solar calendar and nobody knows who built it or indeed why. Discovered in 1835, many believe it is a 2,000-year-old temple with ancient origins, but you’re more than welcome to go along and draw your own conclusions as to why 4.6 million shells ended up decorating the walls of an ancient Kentish underground lair.
CONTACT: The Shell Grotto, tel: 01843 220008
WHAT: Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
WHERE: Romney Marsh
WHY: Great fun for kids of all ages
Admittedly, this is more for the boys than the girls. Kent’s famous miniature railway is powered by coal and steams along 13.5 miles of track between Hythe and Dungeness, taking in the bizarre landscape that is Romney Marsh. Originally the world’s smallest public railway, it still runs a service for lucky kids attending the local school, so get on board and travel by steam!
CONTACT: RHDR, tel: 01797 362353
WHAT: A cross-channel trip
WHERE: Dover
WHY: Because France is only 25 miles away
Ok, so it’s not strictly in Kent, but you do leave from our coast! Taking the Channel Tunnel might be a quicker way to get to France, but it leaves a lot to be desired in the romance department. Take the family to France for the day on a ferry, wave goodbye to the White Cliffs of Dover and spend a few hours going continental, before filling up with cheaper fuel and wine then cruising home with the kids asleep. A perfect day, surely.
WHAT: Hit the beach
WHERE: Everywhere
WHY: You can’t beat a classic day at the seaside
Whether you like big sandy beaches, shingle beaches with big waves or plenty of dunes to get lost in, Kent has it covered. Pack your bucket and spade and spend the day at the seaside making castles, rockpooling, eating sand and paddling at one of Kent’s 12 blue flag beaches, including Botany Bay, Herne Bay and Joss Bay.
WHAT: Dungeness Lighthouse
WHERE: Dungeness
WHY: A room with a view
Opened with much fanfare by the Prince of Wales in 1904, this 46m lighthouse took three million bricks and three years to build, and survived two world wars. It was decommissioned in 1960, after 56 years of guiding ships safely through the English Channel.
Today, you can climb the tower for panoramic views across the Channel, learn how a lighthouse works, view the light and lens and even get your family a certificate of successful ascent.
CONTACT: Dungeness Lighthouse, tel: 01797 321300
WHAT: Seal watching
WHERE: Herne Bay
WHY: See aquatic wildlife in its element
Get up close and personal with the wildlife off Kent’s coast as you’re taken by powerboat to Barrow Sands, a five-mile sandbank frequented by colonies of common and grey seals.
If the animals don’t float your boat, the tour will also take in the controversial Kentish Flats wind farm and the Knock John Naval Fort ruins, so there’s something for the whole family.
CONTACT: Bayblast boat trips: 01227 373372
WHAT: Port Lympne Wild Animal Park
WHERE: Hythe
WHY: Rhinos in the middle of Kent? Why wouldn’t you
Take the little monsters to see the wild animals at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park. Whether you’re into the creatures, historic houses, elegant gardens or breathtaking scenery, it’s all here at the park. With black rhinos, Siberian and Indian tigers, small cats, monkeys, lions and more rare and endangered species, the kids will have a whale of a time (figuratively speaking, obviously). For the grown ups, 15 acres of landscaped gardens give way to spectacular views of Romney Marsh, and you can also explore the historic mansion and the UK’s largest gorillaruim, the ‘Palace of the Apes’.
CONTACT: Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, tel: 0870 7504647
WHAT: Ramsgate Regatta Week
WHERE: Ramsgate
WHY: Saves you trekking all the way to Cowes
Why go all the way to the Isle of Wight when Kent has its own mini Cowes week? From 11 to 16 August, more than 100 boats from the UK and Europe will gather at Ramsgate’s famous royal harbour and take part in trophy races every day, including the Gold Cup and the Round the Goodwins races. The third largest regatta in the UK, all types of yachts take part and it makes compelling and bracing viewing for all the family.
CONTACT: 01843 591766
WHAT: Big Sky Kite Festival
WHERE: Margate Sands
WHY: Truly awesome wind-powered spectacle
Attracting some of the world’s top kite flyers and drawing crowds of more than 15,000, the Big Sky Kite Festival returns to Kent once more to prove that kites aren’t just for kids.
Filling the sky above Margate sands with colour, hundreds of kites of all sorts of shapes and designs will take to the sky, flown by professionals and keen enthusiasts alike. This year’s festival is on Sat 20 and Sun 21 September, so head down to Margate and catch the bug for harnessing wind power!
WHAT: Viking Cycle Trail
WHERE: Isle of Thanet
WHY: Keep fit, Viking style
Keeping fit and learning doesn’t sound like an ideal day out for the kids, but if you combine it with a good bike ride and an ice cream as a sweetener, then the 29-mile route on the Isle of Thanet becomes an excellent day out.
In 835 AD, Viking longboats entered the Thames and devastated the Isle of Sheppey. When they later set up in Thanet, it wasn’t long before the residents of Kent approached the Vikings with a lucrative offer on the understanding that they would leave them in peace – the first catalogued payment of danegeld.
Take in all this history on a pleasant route through quiet lanes and Kentish villages, with Minster Abbey also on the way. For the less committed, a nine-mile, traffic-free stretch follows the sea wall from Margate to Reculver.
CONTACT: For a copy of the cycle trail leaflet, email: explorekent@kent.gov.uk or tel: 08458 247 247.