Broadstairs has a habit of entrancing people and before they know it – they’ve bought a house or flat and suddenly they live by the coast in a town that retains a timeless charm unmatched by most other seaside towns today.
If that’s a bit too extreme, Folk Week is a great time to visit the town – described by Charles Dickens as his “favourite watering place”. He might have a bit of a shock if he saw Broadstairs during the festival – it isn’t a quiet time to visit but you couldn’t find a more amenable spot to enjoy the non-stop action that Folk Week offers.
Viking Bay is the main sandy beach – and there’s six more bays with different characteristics around the nearby coast; some are great for rock-pooling or offer a quieter alternative to the full-on British seaside experience and Joss Bay has its own renowned surf school.
You’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to food and drink: there are traditional 50s era ice-cream parlours, restaurants featuring food from Italy, Thailand, India, China, Spain, Turkey and of course – great British contemporary menus and superb fish and chips. Broadstairs and St.Peter’s has some fantastic pubs and micro pubs – and during the festival you will find a lot going on in them!
There are some lovely independent shops to discover, tiny art galleries and coffee shops. The best thing about coming during Folk Week is that there is such a lot going on inside venues – that if the great British weather misbehaves (surely not in Folk Week!) – there’s always plenty to do and enjoy.
Broadstairs has some lovely hotels and guest houses, including the Royal Albion Hotel situated right on the seafront with magnificent views over the bay as well as excellent B&Bs. Book early for Folk Week though – festival-lovers tend to book years in advance.
The Festival campsite is based at a local school and is where you will find a mix of festival-goers, volunteer workforce, morris sides and some of the musicians appearing at the festival. Find out more about the campsite.
Please visit the Visit Broadstairs Site for more information on places to stay