I love it when the force gives you great big flashing comedy pointy hand neon signs - I don’t know if they’ve just got more obvious or I’m listening more - but a series of events led me to Margate last weekend. There was a small project on the cards but wasn’t sure if it was going to financially be viable but then I had an email from a magazine about a feature they were doing and they needed some shots. So studying the diary and being aware I also needed a few days refresh from Brighton (as great as it is) I settled on leaving on the Friday and heading back on the Sunday.

It’s nice when I have an assignment because I head off with a lot of things to shoot meaning that I get to enjoy some key places without having to do much research. But also, my big Labrador Monty is a factor in these assignments as I can hardly leave him with my AirBNB guests (imagine).

I wasn’t sure how dog friendly Margate was going to be - I know from Brighton that there are restrictions on a lot of beaches but some beaches in Brighton are open to dog walkers all year round. Margate does it a little differently - they restrict dogs in the summer months on some of the beaches but only during certain hours (mainly 10am-6pm) which I really liked.

As for park ups there’s some good options in Margate, especially to the West of the town with the added bonus of some green spaces. I’ll leave it to your discretion but remember to always be respectful, especially in residential areas.

I spent a lot of my days at Walpole Bay, I loved it! It’s free to park there in the day and I hung around and worked from the van for some large chunks of the day, it all gave me an opportunity to see the tidal pool at both low and high tide which was a treat.

So in order of my trip, here’s my dog friendly few days in Margate and surrounding.

Margate Main Sands

The beaches in front of the main town are no dogs but if you drop down to the beach east of the main drag dogs are allowed there and Monty had great fun digging in the sand and I really enjoyed a cuppa and a snack at The Sun Deck - a street food market - while looking out to Margates smaller tidal pool. It was lovely to observe the textures of the beach and kick about a bit before checking out the main town.

We also had a walk up the harbour arm (with Monty on the lead) - it was lovely to see the town from that perspective and with the tide in it was curious to see the head of the Anthony Gormley statue appearing to bob in the waters.

The Old Town.

It was a warm Friday afternoon so how better to start a pick around in a seaside town than with an ice cream? After checking a few places out I spotted new kid on the block Ramsay & Williams who sell interior gems and Kentish ice cream. Bonus for Monty too because they sell Frozzy’s - an ice cream made for dogs. We enjoyed sitting out the front and polishing off our respective frozen treats (I like to think me much more elegantly than Monty). I highly recommend the lemon curd gelato - summit else!

Some shops were more welcoming than others with the dog but generally most around the old town were fine. My favourite was Artisan & Adventurers that sell beautiful fair trade jewellery and dog collars/leads as well as well sourced treats for your pooches. There were scratches from behind the counter for Monty and a friendly smile and chat for me. Winner.

Walpole Bay and Tidal Pool.

Dogs must be kept on leads at Walpole Bay May-Sept 10am - 6pm so I timed my first visit for early evening so my free spirited boy could roam free and I fell in love with it the minute we got there. We were eager as each other to get in the pool - Monty found great pleasure in swimming alongside me as we got in together from the beach end and then hauling himself up on the wall when it got too deep so he could stay with me. There were other dogs around too.

I must have got in the tidal pool at least 3 more times over the next 48 hours - I couldn’t resist an early morning swim the next day and the day after too. Generally it was just a great place to hang out too. I parked up the van there in the day and working basqueing in the sun and watching the different types of people arrive as the tide changed.

The West Bays.

Beach Palm Bay and along to Foreness Bay were all dog friendly and all these lovely sandy beaches are really quiet bar dog walkers and the odd family building sandcastles. There were lots of carcasses of crabs and fish tossed aside by satisfied seagulls among the seaweed which was a bit sad! The etched names and tags along the rocks point to a teenagers haven and made me picture my friend who grew up here sipping 20/20 and having her first snog. Turned out I was about right!

Lower Promenade (behind the Turner Contemporary).

Dogs are allowed off lead here all year round so Monty had great fun digging around when we returned to this part of town the next day with the tide out. We watched some suppers practice around the statue, lots of couples braving the slippery tide out seabed for a selfie and I had some lovely chats with some friendly locals walking dogs.

Cliftonville.

Heading on up towards the Lido sign I knew I wouldn't be able to leave Margate without a visit to Haeckels, a brand I have long admired for their ethos. Sourcing everything for their products naturally and sustainably and also giving back to the community in the form of massive clean ups and incentives for the local community to swap bags of collected rubbish for rewards. Monty enjoyed drying off in the sun held by a very willing human who was sat enjoying a coffee in the cafe next door. I already have a number of Haeckels products at home, especially the home scents range, but have now added the broccoli seed oil to the list of my favourite ever products, it does magical things to my hair!

Having built quite the appetite for lunch we headed in the rain (the most changeable weather!) to nearby Cliffs - a vinyl shop and cafe recommended by a few friends and a number of articles. Highly recommend for delicious food, lots of space and a good selection of vinyl for record lovers like me.

Also on the agenda was a visit to Scott’s - a haven of bric a brac and antiques in a side street off from the main road. It was raining and I wasn’t sure about a Labrador in a china shop so to speak so collected the van and parked out front where Monty had a much needed snooze while I attempted to take everything in. I came out with an array of hooks, handles and knobs all for under 20 quid. Each piece would probably be about that each in the cool interior shops in Brighton so I was pretty chuffed with my finds. They were super friendly and kept an eye on the van for me.

Botany Bay and Kingsgate Bay.

Satisfied that I had taken in a fair bit of Margate town I dedicated the Sunday morning to catching the rest of the Thanet area and started with a walk from Botany Bay along the top to Kingsgate Bay. It was really stunning and lovely to walk with the soft sand between my bare toes. Note, this is a beach where dogs aren’t allowed between 10-6 so we were here earlier. Dogs are allowed on the dramatic Kingsgate Bay all day without restrictions so knock yourself out there! When the tide is out you can walk along the beach from Botany Bay to Kingsgate.

Broadstairs and Ramsgate.

I had been to Broadstairs a few years previous and remember thinking it was beautiful but this time round I wasn’t drawn to sticking around, not least because it’s not very dog friendly. Even at 11am on a rainy Sunday morning it was heaving with hungover hen parties and couples dining outside of chain restaurants. Not for me really. I have it on very good authority that Flotsam & Jetsam is well worth a visit though! I did enjoy wandering around the back streets checking out the house fronts.

So moving onto Ramsgate - another place not overly dog friendly and I was just about to head back to the van when I spotted Archive under the harbour arches. The food was lovely, the service possibly having an off day. But the shop was really lovely, some beautifully curated products that I wanted to take home with me. Plus I came away with a lovely cinnamon bun that Monty and I shared sitting on the harbour before hitting the road back to Brighton.