The Walks, In Detail
🥾 St Margaret’s Bay to South Foreland Lighthouse
- Distance: 2.5 miles return
- Difficulty: Easy–Moderate
- Time: Allow 1.5–2 hours
- Best for: Every kind of walker, every season
- Overview: This is the walk we recommend most to guests staying in our St Margaret’s at Cliffe properties, and for good reason. It begins at the shingle beach in St Margaret’s Bay and climbs gently along the coastal path towards South Foreland Lighthouse, with the Channel opening out ahead of you and the bay curving behind as you gain height. As you walk, look out for the whitewashed house at the end of the bay where Ian Fleming once lived — he set parts of his James Bond novel Moonraker on the cliffs between St Margaret’s Bay and nearby Kingsdown. The lighthouse itself is a beautiful destination. You can borrow kites to fly on the clifftop, play skittles and quoits and the guided lighthouse tour ends with stepping out onto the balcony for views along the cliffs and across to France on a clear day. Mrs Knott’s tearoom serves tea in bone china cups and very good cake. Return the same way and the walk feels different again in the other direction.
- View the route map and trail guide: Explore Kent →
🥾 St Margaret’s Bay Circular
- Distance: 4.8 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time: Allow 2.5–3 hours
- Best for: Keen walkers, history lovers, photographers
- Overview: The most complete version of the St Margaret’s walking experience, this circular route takes in the Pines Garden, South Foreland Lighthouse, Fan Bay and the clifftops before returning to the bay. From the beach, follow the Saxon Shore Way signs along Beach Road past the Pines Garden. The garden has been run organically since 2002 and features a tearoom — free to enter. The route continues through Lighthouse Down to South Foreland Lighthouse, then along the clifftop to Fan Bay Deep Shelter — a National Trust site where a network of tunnels carved out during World War Two can be explored on a guided tour. The cliffs here feel wild and open, with vast Channel views and, on clear days, France clearly visible on the horizon. The descent back into St Margaret’s Bay is spectacular in any season — the bay appears below you and The Coastguard pub sits waiting at the bottom.
- The Coastguard is the walk’s natural endpoint and one of the finest post-walk pubs on the Kent coast — log fires, sea views, excellent food and a genuinely warm welcome. Your Foreland Cottages Beach Group voucher gives you 10% off the bill.
- View the route map and trail guide: Explore Kent →
🥾 St Margaret’s Bay to Kingsdown via the White Cliffs
- Distance: ~3 miles one way
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time: Allow 1.5–2 hours
- Best for: Coast path enthusiasts, big-sky views, adventurous dogs
- Overview: Starting from St Margaret’s Bay, this route heads north along the clifftop towards Kingsdown. The path is grassy and breezy, with sea views stretching along the coast in both directions and wildflowers appearing in spring and summer. It’s the kind of walking that empties the head very effectively. Kingsdown beach marks the end of the cliff path and the beginning of the reward.
- The Zetland Arms sits virtually on the beach itself — a beloved local pub with views straight out to sea, excellent food and the kind of post-walk atmosphere that makes you want to stay considerably longer than planned. Return the same way for a 6-mile round trip, or arrange a pick-up from Kingsdown.
- View the route map and trail guide: Explore Kent →
🥾 Deal to Kingsdown Coastal Path
- Distance: 4 miles one way
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time: Allow 1.5–2 hours
- Best for: Sociable walkers, dogs, those who want the sea the whole way
- Overview: The most accessible and consistently enjoyable walk on the coast. Largely flat, endlessly scenic and hugging the shoreline the entire way. Starting from Deal seafront, the path runs south through Walmer and on to the village of Kingsdown, passing Deal Castle and Walmer Castle along the route. Cafés along the way serve exceptional coffee, doorstep sandwiches and homemade cake. The final stretch feels noticeably wilder and the beach at Kingsdown is the kind of arrival that makes a flat walk feel like a proper adventure. The Zetland Arms is, again, waiting.
- View the route map and trail guide: Explore Kent → all trails
🥾 Deal to Sandwich — Saxon Shore Way
- Distance: 6.3 miles one way
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time: Allow 2–2.5 hours
- Best for: Long distance walkers, history lovers, a proper day out
- Overview: This section of the Saxon Shore Way from Deal to Sandwich is considered an easy route covering 6.3 miles along Kent’s ancient coastline, passing the historic Deal Pier, Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club and the Sandwich Bay Estate. It’s one of those walks where the destination is as much the point as the journey. Arriving into Sandwich on foot, along the river quay, is a genuinely lovely way to discover one of England’s finest medieval towns. Start at Deal Pier, the walk’s natural beginning, and follow the coast north past the Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club. The path then passes through the Sandwich Bay Estate and its remarkable dune and nature reserve landscape before arriving into Sandwich town.
- In Sandwich: Allow time to simply wander. The medieval street pattern, the Barbican Gate, the Guildhall and the quayside are all within easy reach of each other and the town rewards unhurried exploration. Return by train from Sandwich to Deal. The journey takes around fifteen minutes and runs regularly.
- View the route map and trail guide: Explore Kent → and all trails
Before You Go — A Few Practical Notes
- Footwear: The shingle beaches can be hard going in unsuitable shoes — trainers are fine for most routes but walking boots make a significant difference on the clifftop sections, particularly in wet weather.
- Dogs: Most of these routes are dog friendly throughout the year. Keep dogs on leads near cliff edges and in areas signed for ground-nesting birds in spring and summer. The Deal to Kingsdown path and the Pines Garden loop are particularly good for dogs.
- Getting back: Several of these walks are point-to-point rather than circular. Sandwich has a regular train service back to Deal (approximately 15 minutes). For Kingsdown, local taxis are the most practical option — we’re happy to share contacts when you book.
- Refreshments en route: Every walk on this list has a pub, café or tearoom within comfortable reach. We’d never recommend a walk without something worth arriving at.
Your Base for Walking the Kent Coast
All of these walks start within easy reach of a Foreland Cottage. Our St Margaret’s at Cliffe properties; The Stable, The Hayloft, The Dairy, The Barn and The Granary, are the closest to the clifftop routes and South Foreland Lighthouse, and have their own private access path onto the clifftops. Our Deal and Walmer cottages put you on the doorstep of the coastal path south to Kingsdown and north to Sandwich.
