Margate has had a resurgence over the last decade, now often described as being a “cool” destination. The local tourism board says: “In Margate, seaside kitsch is uber-cool.” Perhaps that’s thanks to its art and creative quarter, with The Turner Contemporary opening on the seafront in 2011. Or maybe it’s the businesses it has attracted.

In 2020, the indie rock band The Libertines opened a seafront hotel, The Albion Rooms, which has since been transformed into a residential recording studio and events space.

There are also plenty of trendy restaurants, cafés and bars lining the seafront and its adjacent streets.

Despite this, according to a new study by Compare the Market, Margate remains one of the “most affordable” seaside days out in Britain. The seaside resort lost out only to Lowestoft, though several of the average prices of goods and amenities in Margate were considerably cheaper.

This is certainly true if you fancy a pint by the sea. Analysing the average cost of a pint in Margate, Compare the Market found a beer is likely to set you back approximately £3.18. This was the cheapest pint of beer at all 10 seaside resorts included in the data.

“The second-most affordable seaside spot for a day out is Margate in Kent, with a pint of beer costing just £3.18 on average – 61 percent cheaper than the national average,” said Compare the Market in its report. “On top of that, Margate gets more sun than most other seaside locations in the UK, averaging 10.1 hours in the summer.”

The research found that the average cost of a meal in Margate totals £7.50, while the average price of a coffee will set you back £2.80.

Parking was one amenity that was found to be more expensive than some other seaside resorts. While the average cost of parking in Lowestoft is £3.15, in the market this sum shoots up to £7.46.

Margate is a very connected seaside resort – which may be why so many people have relocated to the town in recent years. The high-speed train from London St Pancras takes just one hour and 20 minutes on average.

And though the town has welcomed plenty of new faces and businesses over the years, it still holds onto a lot of the traditional seaside charm of its past. Margate first became a seaside resort in the Victorian period, when people would flock to its shores for fish and chips and a dip in the sea.

Peter’s Fish Factory continues to serve traditional seaside fare, and a stone’s throw away you’ll find Dreamland. The site of the park was first used for amusement rides in 1880, although the Dreamland name was not used until 1920 when the park’s Scenic Railway wooden rollercoaster was opened. In 2015, the theme park was reopened with an array of new features which the theme park says “redefine a day out at the seaside”.