What's to do in Westgate-On-Sea ?
Eat, drink, sun bathe, shop, and generally relax in what essentially is a rather picturesque English coastal haven. Westgate-On-Sea really has it all - enough beauty and amenities to make life very pleasant, but without the bustling excesses of a large-scale crowded seaside resort.

Hark, I hear the bells of Westgate,
I will tell you what they sigh,
Where those minarets and steeples
Prick the open Thanet Sky.

Happy bells of eighteen-ninety,
Bursting from your freestone tower !
Recalling laurel, shrubs and privet,
Red geraniums in flower.

Excerpt from the poem Westgate-On-Sea
by John Betjeman

Beaches
As the quality of the beaches constitute the main reason for the area's continued popularity, it should come as no surprise that they are splendid. The beaches and sea have had a clean bill of health from the coastal commission, and are officially safe for bathing.

The closest beach to St Christopher's is St Mildreds Bay, which is a short stroll away, through landscaped greenery, down the gently inclined cliff. The expanse of fine grained burnished sand permits relative family seclusion even when busy - though obviously less so at high tide! Behind the sea wall, beach huts pepper the view with muted colours, and a friendly cafe's tables add a continental flavour of outdoor eating and sunning. For children their is a sea paddling pool at one end and rook pools to explore at the other.

If you turn left out of St Christopher's and head down Sea Road, you will come to West Bay. It will take about 15-20 minutes to get down to it, but the view is stunning and beach well worth the walk. There are many other beaches which you can drive to nearby - checkout more beaches.

If you just want to Sun Bathe without the sand in your sandwiches there is an attractive Sunken Garden about 200 yards away from St Christopher's in Sea Road.

Cinema
The cinema in Westgate is a real gem! It's exterior harks back to the picture palace heydays and gives you that 'evening out' feeling from the 40s. It has two screens; the Premiere screen and the Bijou screen, and offers a choice between stall seats and Pullmans (!). It is only five minutes walk away from the house and screens the usual crop of big movies doing the rounds - checkout what's playing online here.
Carlton Cinema, Mildred's Road, Westgate-on Sea, Kent
Enquiries Tel: 01843 832019
Bookings Tel: 01843 834290

Tourist Information Centre
The nearest major tourist centre is in Margate. It's a good idea to give them a ring and ask for leaflets on current events and places to see:
12-13 The Parade, Margate CT9 1EY.
Tel: 01843 583333
Click for an image.

Shops
The main shopping area is a clustered around St Mildred's and Station road, where you will find a good mixture of charming 'Victorian' style shops and practical 'get what you need' ones! The list includes a traditional bakery, fresh fruit and veg stalls, a video rentals, small supermarket, cafes, restaurants, gift shops, Boots chemist... in short everything you will need for a self-catering holiday and more is readily available.

Restaurants
For it's modest size, Westgate has a reasonable number of restaurants and cafes, which span the price range and offer good food and service. It's not difficult to slip out and have nice meal one night. Here is a short, but not exhaustive list of some of them:

Les Oiseaux (Modern English)
St Augustine's, 125 Canterbury Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
Tel: 01843 836900

Regency Tandoori Restaurant (Indian)
9 Station road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
Tel: 01843 831412

Sizzler's Diner (Cosmopolitan)
15a Station Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
Tel: 01843 831070

Taj Mahal (Indian)
18 Cuthbert Road,Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
Tel: 01843 835626

Nottingham Castle (home cooked food)
Beach Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
Tel: 01843 836477

Cafes & Fast Food
Westgate Fish & Chips (Good old English!)
60 Station Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
Tel: 01843 834154

Westbay Cafe
The Promenade, Sea Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
Tel: 01843 831791

St Mildred's Bay Cafe
Beach Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
Tel: 01843 831604

Beano's
5 Station Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
Tel: 01843 832222

Pav's Garden Cafe
St Mildred's Gardens, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
Tel: 01843 831851

Nev's Cybercafe (Get online and write your emails!)
39-41 Ethelbert Square, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent.
Tel: 01843 832028