KENTISH adventure

Soak up the delights of the Kent Riviera on a walk between Margate and Broadstairs

- SHARON SWEENEY

Easy to reach by train, the Kent seaside towns of Margate and Broadstairs on the Isle of Thanet are perfect for a weekend getaway. You can walk or cycle between them - or hop on a train and save your legs for exploring. My partner and I based ourselves in Margate, lured by a couple of excellent restaurants, the Turner Contemporary art gallery and the prospect of walking part of the Viking Coastal Trail to Broadstairs.

Coastal art

Margate could never be described as posh but it has enjoyed a renaissance since the striking, modernist, Turner Contemporary appeared in 2011. Overlooking the harbour and sandy bay, it's named after J.M.W. Turner, who loved the sunsets here. With a cool white interior, cafe and superwelcoming staff, it hosts the sort of exhibitions you'd pay a pretty penny to see in London. But, hurrah, it's accessible and free, a gift to the town and its visitors.

If you're there three hours before low tide, look out to sea for a view of a semi-submerged figure, a life-sized, cast-iron sculpture by Sir Antony Gormley titled Another Time.

Retro amusements

For seafood snacks, including oysters and jellied eels that you can wash down with a glass of prosecco, don't miss Mannings Seafood Stall by the art gallery.