He created some of the world’s best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol and more.
At the age of 25, Dickens first went to Broadstairs, back then just a small fishing village on the Kentish coast, in 1837 (a journey that took him seven hours by steam boat and stage coach). He loved the place so much that he returned frequently, a total of 19 times in fact, over the next two decades.
This part of Thanet (once an island) is less than half an hours’ drive from Dover. It is a particularly delightful spot and it’s easy to see why Dickens became besotted with Broadstairs. If you are thinking of a short break this spring you would do well to consider this unassuming part of the UK, too often overlooked by people who, upon arriving at its seaports, immediately speed off to London and/or other areas of the country.
1. The Dickens House Museum
Today, there is a museum dedicated to the great wordsmith and also a new self-guided Dickens Town Trail to honour the local hero. The Dickens House Museum on Vitoria Parade also celebrates Dickens’ long connection with Broadstairs and is housed in the cottage that was his inspiration for the home of Betsey Trotwood in one of his most famous books, David Copperfield.
Visitors to the Dickens House Museum will see items that once belonged to the writer, including letters written about Broadstairs, his writing box and mahogany sideboard, along with a fine collection of prints by H K Browne (Phiz), one of Dickens’ principal illustrators. There are also displays of Dickensian memorabilia, Victorian costumes and Victoriana, as well as a feature on “Our English Watering Place”. It was in 1851 that Dickens wrote this affectionate record of the town and its inhabitants.
The small museum dedicated to this truly great Briton has a gift shop and is staffed by volunteers, who are passionate about Dickens and happy to guide visitors around the unique house.
On 5 October 1849 Dickens, whilst staying locally, spoke further about the delights of this Thanet resort while writing early chapters of David Copperfield. In a letter to a friend he wrote, “There has been a trifle of rain here – a spot or two. But today is one of the most wonderful and charming days I ever saw – the air so brisk and bracing as it is nowhere but at Broadstairs – the Channel so busy and alive with shipping as it is nowhere but off Broadstairs – the hotel so cosy and like a private house as it is nowhere but in Broadstairs – everything as nothing is out of Broadstairs. Vive la Broadstairs!”
2. St Peter’s village tour
Dickens, though, is not the only thing on your bucket list at this lovely coastal resort. While in Broadstairs, another “must do” is a St Peter’s village tour. The first walks of the season start in early May and the first one usually sells out quickly.
St Peter’s Village Tour, located just outside Broadstairs, is a great way to spend a couple of hours or so and it is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. That is amazing considering they are all hard-working volunteers but these folk deliver an excellent and highly entertaining experience, you might even get the chance to ‘meet’ Queen Victoria, with many of the volunteers dressed in period costume to add to the occasion.
The tour is free with voluntary donations at the end, which they suggest are £5 per adult. You just need to book your space online and make sure you do because these tours are so popular they sell out very quickly.
3. Pub break
After all that traipsing about, you may well have worked up an appetite and one great local spot to sate your hunger (and thirst) is the delightful restaurant at Botany Bay hotel, which is set on a cliff-top overlooking the golden sands of Botany Bay beach. This seafront hotel is a 3-minute walk from the beach and 2.5 miles (4 kilometres) from Broadstairs. The hotel’s goal, like all others in the Shepherd Neame group is to delight customers with “great experiences” and that is certainly the case at Botany Bay with a mouth-watering menu that is sure to delight even the most demanding of diners.
The terrific (and reasonably priced) food menu changes seasonally and there are special themed evenings such as an upcoming paella and sangria night. That other great British tradition, fish and chips, is a customer favourite here, along with the pan fried hake in Thai red curry sauce and, if you happen to visit on a Sunday, look out for the Sunday roast, another best seller. For something a bit different (and healthy) why not try the plant-based burger.
The group itself has recently made it that much easier for you to find a Shepherd Neame “locale” using their own Pub Map. Showcasing its vast network of pubs across Kent, London and the South East, the company has a colour co-ordinated the map to make it even easier to find the right place (the managed pubs are in orange, and tenanted ones in blue).
The company has also introduced new pub walks which give visitors to the region the chance to get out and explore Kent’s beautiful coast and countryside. There are 14 walks to try, all between four and six miles in length, which take in a wide variety of terrains and environments, along with some of Kent’s most beautiful scenery. Arguably the best thing about any ramble is rewarding yourself at the end with a drink or bite so, perhaps most importantly, the walks all start and finish at one of its pubs.
Shepherd Neame is Britain’s oldest brewer and has been based in Kent for over 300 years. An independent family business, it also boasts an award-winning visitor centre and, keen to develop local talent, has its very own apprenticeship programme.
4. Kent beyond Broadstairs
Aside from marvellous museums, wonderful walks and perfect places to eat, this part of Kent boasts much else. This includes seven beaches and bays – from the main town bay in Broadstairs to smaller rural bays and lovely walks and cycle routes along the Viking Coastal Trail, much of which forms part of the King Charles III England Coast Path. There are several events to look out for throughout the year, including the Dickens Festival in June, which features costumed characters, and Folk Week in August.
It would also be a shame to visit Kent and not include a ride on the Kent and East Sussex Railway, another firm favourite in this part of the country. Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the route, starting at Tenterden, follows the unspoilt Rother Valley for much of the journey. It takes about 50 minutes to Bodiam.
So, there you have it, plenty of great reasons to pause in this pleasant part of England for a terrific short break instead of dashing off to places further afield. And, just to prove that some things never change, Dickens famously fell in love with the place in his quest to escape the rat race of Victorian England and, all these years later, it still makes for a great bolt hole to detox from the pressures of modern life.
