Welcome to DiscoverThanet.co.uk – an informational guide to Thanet. Thanet is a non-metropolitan district, or “shire district”, within the county of Kent and has a population of approximately 130,000 people. It is located on the eastern edge of Kent, in between Canterbury and Dover, with a good majority of its land along the coast.
The main towns in Thanet consist of Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate.
Broadstairs: Broadstairs, known as the “Jewel in Thanet’s Crown”, is a seaside resort on the eastern side of Thanet. With a vast array of hotels and guesthouses along the sea, Broadstairs is greatly fuelled by tourism. The motto on the town’s crest is Stella Maris, which translates to mean “the star of the sea”. With picturesque bays and beaches, Broadstairs is a welcome destination for any tourist wishing to enjoy beautiful ocean views.
One of the notable visitors to Broadstairs was Charles Dickens who regularly visited the town and famously wrote “David Copperfield” whilst staying at Broadstair’s Bleak House. Today, the town honours Dickens each June by hosting the Broadstairs Dickens Festival, which typically involves a production of one of Dickens’ works.
Margate: Margate is another seaside town within Thanet famous as a seaside resort, known for its sandy beaches. Each July it hosts a jazz festival and it has recently opened a museum, which explores the town’s extensive history.
One of the more celebrated visitors to Margate was T.S. Eliot, the famous 20th century poet. Eliot spent time in Margate in order to recover from a mental breakdown and later mentioned the “Margate sands” in one of his works.
Ramsgate: Ramsgate is another seaside resort town within the district of Thanet. Similar to Broadstairs and Margate, its primary industry is tourism, as well as fishing given its geographical placement along the beautiful coastline.
Ramsgate has many areas of interest for tourists, including Ramsgate marina, which is the location of many popular pubs and bars with water views. There is also a reconstructed Viking longship located in Pegwell Bay, as well as the Ramsgate Maritime Museum and the Granville Cinema.