Drapers Windmill
Margate, East Kent
Photo: Barry Marsh from London, England, CC0Photo: Barry Marsh from London, England, CC0
Margate's only working smock mill, built in 1845 by John Holman of Canterbury and run by volunteers from the Drapers Windmill Trust. It stands on a hill on the Turner and Dickens Walk between Margate and Broadstairs.
Highlights
- Working Kentish smock mill from 1845
- Newly restored fantail
- On the Turner and Dickens Walk
Good to know
- Group visits outside opening times can be arranged by email
- Nearest bus stop is St John's Church on the Loop, about half a mile away
Getting there
Drapers Windmill, St Peter's Footpath, College Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 2SRParking: Limited on-street parking outside the mill.
Get directionsChecked on 16 October 2026 against draperswindmill.org.uk, draperswindmill.org.uk. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
Spotted something wrong or missing? Tell us
Nearby
Image: Shell GrottoShell Grotto
Margate's Shell Grotto is a Grade I listed underground passage lined with around 4.6 million shells in intricate mosaics, and open to visitors since 1838. Its 70 feet of winding tunnels remain a mystery, with no agreed answer to who made them or why. It is a short, memorable visit for all ages.
Photo of Margate: No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0The Escapement escape rooms, Margate
Award-winning theatrical escape rooms in Cliftonville, with three 90-minute adventures built like film sets: a pirate ship, an Egyptian tomb and a journey to the centre of the earth. None are horror themed, and the games adapt to beginners and families.
Image: The Margate CavesMargate Caves
Margate Caves is a charity-run attraction that takes you underground into chalk caves whose history runs from Iron Age settlement to their later use as a mine. It is an inexpensive, short visit that pairs well with the Shell Grotto nearby.