weeklyTRAVEL
n o i t a n i Dest OUS!
CLIFF
FABUL
Sunset is a crowd-pleaser at Whitstable’s quaint seafront.
Up close, the famous White Cliffs of Dover are even more spectacular.
PAMELA WADE FINDS CHARMS APLENTY IN KENT
I
never thought “glamorous” was a word I’d use in Kent. I expected it to be pretty but domesticated – and then the White Cliffs of Dover took my breath away. Arriving early on a brilliant summer’s day, we beat the bank holiday crowds to the track that runs along the grassy top of the cliffs. Down below, the English Channel was doing a remarkable impression of the Pacific: clear, turquoise and sparkling. That was a treat in itself, but even better were the cliffs themselves, more than 100m high, brilliantly white in the sunshine, sculpted by the weather and – no other description would do – dramatically glamorous. On our walk we found a lighthouse with a tea room at its base, wild ponies grazing, blackberries to pick, cheerful people walking shiny dogs and Dover Castle on the skyline. It was all just lovely and then it got even better.
With impeccable timing, just as we walked past a wartime gun emplacement, a Spitfire flew overhead, the clatter of its engine evoking the Battle of Britain and, again, more drama. It was a perfect moment. In fact, our weekend in Kent was full of delights. We stayed in a converted coach house attached to a sweet little country pub where the boss was Charlie the terrier, and we cruised from one charming seaside town to another. Deal, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Margate – they all had pretty sand or pebbled beaches, or harbours full of colourful boats, surrounded by inviting pubs and restaurants. But best of all was Whitstable. It was gorgeous, a classic little old fishing port with a craft market, art shops, cafés, stately buildings, churches, a theatre and old pubs festooned with colourful hanging baskets, all humming with the holiday weekend. Down at the harbour
