Culture lover’s fix - Margate
Immerse yourself in one of the UK’s most burgeoning creative scenes, on the Isle of Thanet in Kent. From timeless inspiration to genre-defying contemporary practice, the creative connections across Margate will thrill and surprise in equal measure - perfect for a day away from the everyday.
Itinerary Summary
1 Morning
Turner Contemporary
Travel to Margate via Southeastern’s High Speed service in less than 90 minutes from London St Pancras. As soon as you arrive, visit the shelter where the First World War poet T.S Eliot wrote part of his most famous poem The Waste Land. Saunter along the golden sands or seafront to the site where Turner found the inspiration for some of his most famous works (and fell in love with his landlady Mrs Booth!) and the world-class Turner Contemporary gallery is now situated. Inside, see thought-provoking art at one of the gallery’s temporary exhibitions, showcasing the world’s leading contemporary artists. Try your hand at something creative together at one of the many workshops, and soak up the unrivalled views over the North Sea - the same views that inspired Turner and that he declared were the ‘loveliest in all Europe’.
Turner Contemporary Gallery
1 Lunch
The Old Kent Market
Turn your cultural adventure into a culinary delight. Whether it’s a seafood dinner overlooking spectacular golden sands, fish and chips or street food - Margate has a feast of places to sup and devour local award-winning food and drink such as The Old Kent Market, Cupcake Cafe, Greedy Cow, Bottego Caruso, Mullins Brasserie, The Mad Hatter Tea Room, Lifeboat Ale House, Angela’s of Margate and more. Then explore Margate Old Town, strolling along the quaint cobbled streets to find vintage shops, independent galleries and studios - Pie Factory Margate, King Street Studio and Eclectic Art, to tempt you to start your own art collection, meeting artists and makers as you browse.
The Old Kent Market
1 Afternoon
Carl Freedman Gallery
Feel the vibrancy of the London art scene beside the seaside - venture to the newly opened Carl Freedman gallery in the town centre’s Union Crescent (and spot Tracey Emin’s studio in progress next door). Stumble across artist studio collectives such as Resort, Bon Volks, and Marine Studios to see contemporary art in the making. Move out of the main town to Cliftonville’s Northdown Road, where you’ll discover more artists’ studios, gallery spaces and independent shops rich in character. Every day something new appears, and it’s here that you can scratch the surface of some of the town’s artistic community. Finish the day back at the Main Sands to take in a sensational Turner sunset.
