Beaches
The beaches in East Kent are renowned destinations. We have both sandy or shingle shorelines and every beach has its own character. Here are just a few of our favourites.
Sandy Beaches
Viking Bay, Broadstairs | CT10 1EU
Broadstairs main beach for bucket and spades, fish and chips and a fresh-water pool with good crabbing at low tide. Walk along the seafront above the beach and visit Morelli's for delicious ice cream in a retro setting.
Botany Bay, Broadstairs | CT10 1EU
Beautiful big bay with interesting rock formations which is good for low tide crabbing.
Joss Bay, Broadstairs | CT10 3PG
Popular horseshoe shape bay. Visit Joss Bay Surf School for surf and stand up paddle board lessons Can get busy in high season.
Margate Main Sands | CT9 1JD
An iconic British seaside destination with a tidal pool, children's rides and a stretch of arcades to boot. Dreamland, The Turner Contemporary, excellent restaurants and the revived Old Town are all within walking distance too. Very busy in the Summer months.
Minnis Bay, Birchington | CT7 9QR
A long bay popular with dog walkers and cyclists on the cliff top. Loads of space at low tide. The Minnis Restaurant does a great Sunday Breakfast and there's free parking on the prom.
West Bay, Westgate | CT8 8QG
Popular beach with locals, loads of sandy space and good crabbing at low tide. The grassed area on the cliff is good for playing at high tide. Only one cafe. Great for watching sunsets and having a coffee.
St Mildred's Bay, Westgate | CT8 8AU
Another locals beach, slightly busier than West Bay. Pav's Café is a great sun trap.
Shingle Beaches
Tankerton Slopes | CT5 2LQ
Great long prom and pastel coloured beach huts. Grab some fish and chips from Ossies, or a snack at JoJos Cafe. A great spot for kite-flying.
Whitstable | CT5 1AB
More popular for the harbour, shellfish and shopping. Whitstable is busy with visitors at weekends. Still a lovely place to sit on the beach and watch the tourists stroll on the boardwalk.
Herne Bay | CT6 6BA
An ice cream, arcades and fish and chips atmosphere with a great kids playground on the prom and a helter skelter on the pier.
Taking your dog to the beach
There are some local Thanet beaches that, between 1 May and 30 September, dogs can't be walked on or will have to stay on the lead. You can find a map detailing these beaches here.
Walking
There are some fabulous longer walks in the area that you can pick up from Nethergong, including parts of the Saxon Shore Way and the Wantsum Walk.
Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve is a large area of wetland with lakes, woodland and pasture which is a twenty minute walk, or a three minute drive, away from Nethergong (just head for Grove Ferry.) There are over six kilometres of footpaths, including a 5km circular walk to try.
Nethergong itself can also be walked around in 20 minutes so not too taxing!
There are also two great pub walks from Nethergong, ranging from fifteen minutes to one hour. Ask one of us for a copy of an Ordnance Survey map of local footpaths and pub routes.
Grove Ferry Pub | 01227 860302
15-20mins for adults
The Gate Inn at Marshside | 01227 860498
35 mins for adults
Cycling
If you bring your bikes with you, you will find some good rides nearby. Children are welcome to ride their bikes with care around the site.
Good family rides in the area include:
Reculver to Minnis Bay | CT6 6SS
A lovely flat cliff top ride with a beautiful beach at the end. 3.7 miles only.
Crab and Winkle Way | CT1 2AH
From Canterbury to Whitstable. Start at Canterbury West and ride for 7 miles to Whitstable. You can ride back or hop on train back to Canterbury.
Betteshanger Country Park | CT14 0BF
About a 25 minute drive to this flat country park. Only walkers and cyclists allowed. Bikes can be hired by the hour.
In fact, the whole of the coastline of East Kent can be cycled on the Viking Coastal Trail from Reculver to Pegwell Bay, with a few diversions inland!
Pubs
Grove Ferry Pub | Grove Road (0.8 miles)
Upstreet, Canterbury, CT3 4BP
The Gate Inn at Marshside | Marshside (1.4 miles)
Church Lane, Chislet, Canterbury CT3 4EB
Canterbury, Kent CT3 4LN
The Prince of Wales at Hoath | Maypole (2.3 miles)
Church Lane, Chislet, Canterbury CT3 4EB
The Rose Inn | The Green (4.2 miles)
Wickhambreaux, Kent CT3 1RQ
King Street, Fordwich, Canterbury, Kent CT2 0DB
King Street, Fordwich, Canterbury, Kent CT2 0DB
Towns
We are spoilt for choice for interesting and exciting towns all within a half hour drive from Nethergong.
Whitstable
Great boutique shops, harbour market, shellfish and good restaurants.
Margate
Visit the Turner Contemporary, Dreamland, cool shops, galleries and places to eat on the Harbour Arm, the Old Town and towards Cliftonville.
Canterbury
For the Cathedral, cobbled side streets, history and a vibrant atmosphere.
Broadstairs
Unrivalled beaches, prom and ice cream.
Faversham
A charming medieval market town. Home to Shepherd Neame, Britain's oldest brewery, busy markets and Macknade, an award winning food hall.
Ramsgate
For the marina and the sea front café culture.
On the river
The beautiful River Stour is five minutes from Nethergong and two of the most popular activities for our campers staying for a weekend or longer are canoeing with Canoe Wild or a river trip with Grove Ferry River Trips.
Canoe Wild is a terrific experience for couples or families. Canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards can be hired by the hour or more at Grove Ferry (closer the Nethergong) or Fordwich. Paddlers taking a longer trip are also offered a free lift back to their car too.
Grove Ferry River Trips | 07985 273070
Leaving from Grove Ferry Inn on the Mary-Ellen, a river trip is a more leisurely way to view the Nature Reserve. Trips run hourly and can be booked in advance. They also run Wildlife Experience trips to view the river wildlife, including our local beavers!