When to go
Deal is often overlooked for its more artistic Kent coast neighbours, Margate and Folkestone, but this Georgian gem – between Ramsgate and Dover – is in the ascendant.
It is an atmospheric town in which fishermen’s cottages rub shoulders with Georgian townhouses and life is split between the handsome, bustling High Street and the wide seafront, with a pebbly beach home to fishing boats and beach huts.
In summer, the focus is inevitably on the sea, but in cooler months there are plenty of cosy pubs, cafés and restaurants to warm up in after a windswept beach walk. For more information, see whitecliffscountry.org.uk.
How to get there
Southeastern trains arrive from London St Pancras in around 90 minutes. The town is very compact and walkable – the station is less than 10 minutes’ walk from the High Street and the sea front.
There are lots of lovely little streets to wander along, with cafés and shops to discover on the way. To explore further afield, hire a bike from Hut 55 on the beach front – rates start from £18 for a half-day.
Bus no 12 runs to Walmer and onwards to Canterbury, no 43 to Sandwich and 80/81 to Sandwich and Dover, stagecoachbus.com.
Where to stay
The Rose on the High Street has cosy rooms in a former pub, with a stylish bar and restaurant serving local dishes and a hearty breakfast. Rooms, splashed with bright colour and bold patterns, start at £115.
The Waterfront Hotel is, as its name suggests, on the seafront. The clean and simple rooms have wonderful views of the sea and pier and start at £70.
Fifteen minutes’ drive away, Updown Farmhouse is a restaurant with rooms in a leafy setting. The spacious, restful bedrooms overlook mature gardens and woodland while the restaurant serves “hyper-seasonal” produce that’s all cooked over wood. Doubles from £250 B&B.
DAY ONE
Up with the sun
The pier is a Brutalist wonder built in 1957 and opened by the Duke of Edinburgh (the town first had a wooden pier, designed by Sir John Rennie in the 1830s, that was destroyed in a storm).
Wander to the end to enjoy widescreen views from the excellent Deal Pier Kitchen, which serves a lovely breakfast and brunch options including smashed avocado with eggs for £9.50, which should set you up for the day. You might spot Goodwin Sands, the 10-mile sandbank mentioned in The Merchant of Venice some six miles off the coast that has wrecked many a ship.
Souvenir hunting
The award-winning High Street is a jumble of chains and independent shops, arts galleries and cafés. You can buy anything from a couple of salmon fillets to a scented candle. Pop in to Smugglers Records in King Street, not only an independent record shop and label but also an off-licence selling local craft beers.
Every Saturday morning the upper end of the High Street is home to a lively street market – which has been a chartered market since 1699 – with a huge variety of stalls, from plants and vegetables to furniture and cooked food.
Don’t miss
Kent Museum of the Moving Image was founded in 2018 by curator David Francis – who created London’s now-defunct Museum of the Moving Image – and his wife, Jocelyn Marsh. Exploring all aspects of the moving image, from the early days of magic lantern shows to the present day, it also has a garden and café; £7 adults, open Fri-Sun.
South of Deal, Walmer Castle (£14) is a Tudor fortress built on the orders of Henry VIII to defend England’s southern shores. The stocky castle later became a home for the Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports, including the Duke of Wellington and the Queen Mother.
Treats include The Duke of Wellington’s Bedroom, which looks exactly as it did when he was alive, and eight acres of gardens. Peckish? There’s The Glasshouse Café in the gardens and the Warden’s Tea Room in the castle.
Time for a sundowner
Frog and Scot, a busy bistro on the High Street, is a perfect place to begin an evening and soak up the atmosphere. There are local beers on tap and an extensive range of wines available by the glass and carafe along with tasty bar snacks. Resist these if you can, as a real treat awaits round the corner…
Dinner reservation
St George’s Passage is home to Victuals & Co, a popular and relaxed restaurant serving contemporary dishes such as curry spice-crusted roast cod (£25) and a gourmet burger with fries (£17).
DAY TWO
Hit the beach
Kingsdown Beach is a lovely stone beach three miles to the south. Take a leisurely stroll along the coast path or pick up a bike and be there in 15 minutes.
Lunch break
It’s worth booking a table at Zetland Arms in Kingsdown. The popular local pub is right on the beach and serves many pub favourites in a cosy interior or at tables on the stones.
Back in Deal, 81 Beach Street does a sophisticated take on seafood – potted crab, coconut panko king prawns, whole baked catch of the day – but for a simple bag of fish and chips on the beach, join the queue at Middle Street Fish Bar.
Time to relax
Head north to Pegwell Bay Country Park and the estuary of the River Stour, where seals bask in the water and on the saltmarsh and mudflats, alongside a variety of migratory birds. You can explore on foot, or on boat trips along the river, departing from Sandwich (£25).
A final treat
Solley’s ice cream parlour and farm in Ripple, near Walmer, is open from March to December with farm trails to walk off your indulgences (scoops, sundaes and shakes), made from the resident herd of Guernsey cows.
Three things you might not know about Deal…
- Originally, the St George’s Church congregation were mostly seafarers. They were given dedicated galleries so they could come and go when called, without disturbing others.
- The original Wellington boots that belonged to the Duke of Wellington are on display at Walmer Castle – and the camp bed he slept in while on campaign.
- The 50s-built concrete pier is the last remaining intact leisure pier in Kent and is longer than the Titanic.