Seaside life

A taste of Edwardian seaside life on the Kent coast

This fascinating street view from Margate, taken around 1901, captures the town at a time when it was one of Britain’s most popular seaside resorts. On the left, signage for an “Oyster Saloon”, a Metal Bar Restaurant, and Margate Palace Teas hints at the bustling hospitality scene that catered to London day-trippers and summer holidaymakers arriving by steam train and paddle steamer.

A horse-drawn cart stands at the centre, flanked by elegant bay-window buildings, and in the background, you can just make out the tower of the Arcadia Theatre, once a hub of seaside entertainment. This corner of Thanet would have been alive with the smell of salt air, fresh shellfish, and the sound of laughter from the promenade.

🗓️ Did you know? Margate’s Dreamland amusement park opened just a few years later in 1920, but by 1901, the town already attracted over 250,000 visitors every summer.

📍 Margate, Thanet District, Kent, England 📷 Photograph circa 1901

📸 Do you have old postcards or photographs from Margate or other Kent coast towns? Upload them to Oldpik.com and help preserve the golden age of the English seaside.