A Margate Art Day
There are 169 coastal towns of various shapes and sizes in England and Wales, but only one of them has consistently appeared on my radar over the past few years: Margate. It ticks all the necessary boxes for a classic British seaside escape, but it’s the unique association this town has with artists that had drawn my attention. Famed painter J. M. W. Turner claimed it’s skies were the ”loveliest in all Europe” and two hundred years after he spent the remainder of his life painting them, artists and galleries are at the forefront of regeneration efforts to put this town prominently back on the map. I decided to see for myself if the recent hype truly warranted an entire day dedicated to a seaside art hop. It didn’t disappoint.
At less than one and a half miles long, Margate is an incredibly walkable town. The next gallery is almost always literally just around the corner. In fact, everything in this article — including a leisurely lunch to start and a celebratory pint in the pub at the end — comfortably fit into seven hours. Factor in another three hours for the round-trip trains and you’ve got yourself a full but fulfilling art day. Here’s a recap of everything I recommend.
Turner Contemporary
Walking out of Margate train station you’ll immediately see sandy beach, the seafront harbour and a massive white structure on the skyline shaped like two giant versions of the local lifeguard hut. If you’ve come for the art, this is a great place to start or end your day.
Named after the painter and located on the former site of the guesthouse where he often stayed, the Turner Contemporary opened in 2011 and is “widely recognised as an essential catalyst for the regeneration of East Kent”. The stats are as impressive as it’s enormous vaulted exhibition spaces. There’s also a gift shop, events area and cafe. An upper level balcony presents a picture postcard view of the sea where you might catch a glimpse of ANOTHER TIME by Antony Gormley, but it’s a lot more fun to walk right up to it and see it dripping with seaweed once the tide’s gone out at the end of the day.
This is truly a world-class contemporary art museum and like most museums in the UK, it’s FREE. Turner Contemporary is a charity and your donations are greatly appreciated.
📍Rendezvous, CT9 1HG
Galleries, Galleries, Galleries
Day-trip towns always have at least one or two artisanal shops flogging handmade jewellery alongside scenic watercolours and artistically angled photos of local landmarks. Margate has plenty of these to satisfy cheap souvenir seekers, but they’re not why I came down on the train for the day.
Contemporary art lovers will enjoy the independent artists to be found rotating their output through local galleries like Pie Factory and Community Pharmacy. These are ideal locations for early stage art collectors, or those on a budget, to acquire some accomplished works for their walls.
Those more au fait with London’s gallery scene will feel right at home in Carl Freedman Gallery, who moved down from Shoreditch in 2019. He’s brought a roster of big name artists but also supports the vibrant local scene, such as artist Lyndsey Mendick who recently opened up her own impressive gallery, Quench. They’ll soon be joined by new studios and an exhibition space being developed by none other than Tracey Emin. This is Cork Street calibre stuff, and it’s absolutely upping the game around town.
Be sure to do some research before you go to find out what’s new, what’s on, and more importantly, to confirm opening days & hours. Gallery schedules can be notoriously fickle.
Carl Freedman Gallery
📍28 Union Crescent, Margate CT9 1NS
carlfreedman.com | @carlfreedmangallery
Community Pharmacy
📍16 Market Place, Margate, CT9 1ES
Pie Factory
📍5 Broad Street, Margate CT9 1EW
piefactorymargate.co.uk | @piefactorymargate
Quench Gallery
📍Cliftonville Avenue, Margate CT9 2NU
Quirky Venues
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Crab Museum
Do you have a favourite crab? That sentence may very well be the first time you’ve ever had to consider that question, but not so for the super friendly crab enthusiasts that run what is proudly described as “a satisfyingly baffling day out!” on their own brochure.
This “museum” (you might want to make air quotes with your fingers when you say that) is more like a sarcasm-filled science fair exhibit. If you can manage to stop laughing at the tongue-in-cheek writing and cartoon crabs drawn all over the walls, you’ll notice that a wide range of socio-political topics have been thoughtfully snuck into the displays. Lest these lead to an unfortunate seaside Brexit debate, you can distract your partner/friends/kids by stepping up to the counter to see some amazing micro-lens views of crab eyes and hairy crab legs.
📍9 Broad Street, Margate, CT9 1EW
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Shell Grotto
The unexpected discovery in 1835 of a mysterious, fully formed underground grotto decoratively coated with 4.6 million sea shells sounds like a perfect story for a Netflix documentary. No one knows who made it, or when, or why, though archaeologist Rod LeGear has a few theories in his incredibly comprehensive study. The phrase “You gotta see it to believe it” is often overused, but entirely appropriate in this case.
Check the website to confirm opening days & times, and to pre-book tickets. (£4.50 adult / £2 child)
📍Grotto Hill, Margate, CT9 2BU
In case you get hungry…
Contemporary art can sometimes be hard to handle, but it’s downright impossible to stomach when you’re hangry. I recommend you do your own research so you can cater to your individual taste and dietary restrictions, but if you want my recommendations:
We started our day with lunch at The Greedy Cow, which has plenty of meaty burgers and vegetarian options, super friendly service and is in a fantastic location for outdoor dining if the weather allows.
If you need a sugar-rush pick-me-up, you absolutely must try the homemade ice cream and sorbet they sell inside the Ramsay and Williams vintage store.
Plan your visit
Still looking for more things to see and do? visitthanet.co.uk is a ridiculously comprehensive official Kent tourism website that has answers to pretty much any questions you might have about visiting Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate.
Direct trains to Margate depart from St. Pancras International (90 min) and London Victoria (1hr 45 min). Book your tickets direct through SouthEastern trains.