Holiday Cottages in Sandwich Bay, Kent

One of the most quietly extraordinary places on the Kent coast — a private estate, a wide open beach and a level of peace that is genuinely hard to find anywhere else

The first thing guests notice about Sandwich Bay is the quiet. Not the relative quiet of a seaside town on a weekday morning, but a deep, settled stillness that takes a few hours to fully absorb. Wide open sky. A beach that stretches for miles in either direction with almost nobody on it. The sound of the sea, the birds, the wind in the dunes — and very little else. Sandwich Bay is a private coastal estate on the Kent coast, accessed through a security gate off the main road and reached along private roads that serve only the handful of properties within. There are no shops here, no cafés, no passing traffic. What there is, and what makes this one of the most sought-after addresses on the Kent coastline, is an extraordinary stretch of unspoiled beach, a nationally important nature reserve, some of the finest golf courses in England on the doorstep and the medieval town of Sandwich just minutes away.

OUR holiday cottage in SANDWICH BAY

The Dunes: Holiday lets within the estate are rare. Properties directly opposite the beach road are rarer still. The Dunes is one of them.

The Dunes sits directly opposite the beach road on the Sandwich Bay estate — cross the private road and you are on the beach. There is no other public road between the cottage and the sea. Every room apart from the kitchen and bathrooms has a sea view. Wake up to the waves. Eat breakfast watching the tide. Fall asleep to the sound of waves with the curtains open. The sea is not a feature of staying at The Dunes — it is the constant, quiet companion of everything that happens there.

The cottage sleeps six comfortably, with a private tennis court for those who want something to do between beach visits, and a balcony from which the view is simply…the sea. Dogs are welcome and will consider Sandwich Bay beach the finest place they have ever visited. The Dunes has a warmth to it that guests mention consistently – the kind of place where you get through the door, put your bags down, change into something comfortable and immediately feel as though you’ve been here before. The comfies go on. The trainers come off. The sea shoes go on. You cross the road and you’re on the beach.

Why Sandwich Bay?

The quiet: Is the headline. Guests who have stayed in the busier coastal towns often describe arriving at Sandwich Bay as stepping into a different register entirely. The estate roads carry almost no traffic. The beach is wide, open and almost always uncrowded.
The beach: Stretches for miles. Wide sand flats at low tide, dunes behind, the sea ahead and almost nothing in either direction except coastline. It is the kind of beach that rewards doing very little on it very well.
The estate: Gives guests a sense of privacy that is genuinely unusual in a holiday setting. The security gate at the entrance, the private roads, the handful of properties on the beach road — it all adds up to an experience that feels more like borrowing a friend’s extraordinary house than staying in a holiday let.
The golf: World-class and immediately accessible. Royal St George’s, host of The Open Championship, is practically on the estate boundary. Prince’s Golf Club is directly adjacent. Royal Cinque Ports is ten minutes away in Deal. Three of England’s finest links courses within a short drive. For a golf group Sandwich Bay is almost incomprehensibly well placed.
The nature: Sandwich Bay is home to one of the finest bird observatories in the south east, the Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust records an extraordinary range of migrating and resident species across the dunes and coastal habitats. For wildlife watchers this is a genuinely special location.
Sandwich Bay and Deal Shooting Club: Adds another layer to what the area offers – a working gun club in a wonderful coastal setting, open to visiting members.
Sandwich town: A perfectly preserved medieval market town on the River Stour with cobbled streets, a 16th century Guildhall, timber-framed buildings and excellent independent pubs and restaurants. All just 10 minutes away. If you like a walk, its also walkable.
Deal: With its food scene, high street and coastline all easily reachable at just 15 minutes away. If you like a walk, its also walkable.

A Forelands Day in Sandwich Bay – The way we’d spend it:

Every Foreland Cottages guest receives a list of our tried and tested local loves near their property, so you can find your own version. In the meantime, this is our suggestion:

Early morning: Slip on your sea shoes, cross the private road and be on the beach before breakfast. The sand at low tide stretches ahead of you. Nobody else there. This is what you came for.
Mid-morning: Back to The Dunes. Coffee, a slow breakfast and sea views. There is no rush here and nowhere you need to be.
Late morning: Walk the beach north or south. Take the dog. Take nothing else. Turn back when you feel like it.
Lunch: Drive into Sandwich. The Lazy Elephant for something excellent, Luigi’s on the quayside if you want to sit by the water, or The Bell for a proper pub lunch.
Afternoon: Return to The Dunes. The balcony, a book, the sea view. A game of tennis on the private court if energy returns. A nap if it doesn’t.
Evening: Stay in and cook. The kitchen is well equipped and the provisions run on the way down is exactly what this evening is for. Or drive into Deal for dinner.

FIND OUT MORE

On the Map

Sandwich Bay sits at the northern end of the Foreland Cottages coastline, with everything else within easy reach:

Deal → — fifteen minutes by car, with the pier, high street, restaurants and Saturday market
Walmer → — twenty minutes by car, with Walmer Castle gardens and Hut 55 on the beach
Kingsdown → — twenty minutes by car, with the wildflowers and the Zetland Arms
St Margaret’s Bay → — twenty-five minutes by car, with the White Cliffs and South Foreland Lighthouse

FAQs

Where is Sandwich Bay located?
Sandwich Bay sits on the east coast of Kent between Deal and Sandwich.

Is Sandwich Bay good for a peaceful coastal break?
Yes. The private estate, wide beaches and surrounding nature reserves make Sandwich Bay one of the most tranquil places to stay on the Kent coast.

Can you walk along the beach at Sandwich Bay?
Yes, the long beach is ideal for walking, with sand flats appearing at low tide and miles of open coastline to explore.

Can you walk from Sandwich Bay to Deal or Sandwich?
Yes. A beautiful coastal walk runs between Sandwich Bay and Deal, with sea views on one side and the historic Royal Cinque Ports Golf Course on the other. Sandwich is even closer.

Have further questions? Contact us and we would be happy to help.

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