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To Do in Kent
BeachesOutdoorsWatersports

Walpole Bay

Margate, Coast

Walpole Bay, from Visit ThanetImage: Visit Thanet

Image: Visit Thanet

Walpole Bay in Cliftonville is a long sandy beach best known for its large tidal pool, a favourite with Margate's sea swimmers. Explore the rock pools at low tide, take a dip in the tidal pool and warm up afterwards in the community sauna by the water. It suits swimmers, rock poolers and anyone after a quieter stretch of Margate coast.

Highlights

  • Large tidal pool popular with sea swimmers
  • Rock pools to explore at low tide
  • Community sauna near the tidal pool
  • Promenade with cafés nearby

Good to know

  • From 1 May to 30 September dogs must be on a lead between 10am and 6pm
  • Barbecues are allowed only after 6pm
  • Only a small area of beach remains at high tide

Getting there

Walpole Bay, Fifth Avenue, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent, CT9 2JNParking: No on-site parking. Free on-street parking on the nearby clifftop and residential roads, or use the Lido Car Park on Ethelbert Terrace (CT9 1RX).

Get directions

Checked on 15 October 2026 against visitthanet.co.uk. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check

Nearby

Margate Harbour Arm curving out to sea beneath a bright blue sky with wispy cloudsPhoto of Margate: No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0
Arts and cultureMargate · under 1 km

The Oval Bandstand and Lawns

The Oval Bandstand and Lawns is a historic open-air amphitheatre on the clifftop at Cliftonville, run by the not-for-profit GRASS Cliftonville CIC. Through the year, and especially in summer, it hosts live music, outdoor theatre and cinema, markets and community festivals for up to 499 people. Grab a ticket for a summer evening gig by the sea.

Ticket prices vary by event; tickets are sold through Eventbrite.Directions
Shell Grotto, from Shell GrottoImage: Shell Grotto
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Shell 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.

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Margate Caves, from The Margate CavesImage: The Margate Caves
History and heritageMargate · 1 km

Margate 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.

Under £10Directions