This past week we were supposed to be in Sardinia, a long awaited holiday after a long pregnancy and lockdown. A chance to swim in the Mediterranean, relax, and indulge in Italian wine, cheese and pizza. Unfortunately, with the US Embassy being closed, our newborn son is a man without a country, or at least a man without a passport, making International Travel a no-go.
Scrambling for a beach getaway less than 2 hours from London, we booked Deal, England as a last minute backup in case the passport didn’t arrive in time (spoiler alert, we are still waiting for the Embassy to open!) and I’m so glad we did.
One of the fishing boats on the Deal Seafront
Many of our British friends hadn’t heard of Deal…why??? It is definitely a town to have on your radar if you enjoy quaint seaside towns, gourmet food, and history; with not one but three castles in close proximity. It’s been named one of the best towns to commute to from London (though at 1 hour a 40 minutes away, that is quite a commute!) and won High Street of the Year in 2013.
From London there are two trains that take you to Deal – one direct leaving from London Victoria, and one leaving from St. Pancras with a change at Ashford International. The direct train with more stops is longer (about 2 hours, 10 mins) so we opted to break up the journey and take the faster transfer. Per usual we took our Joie Pact Stroller and the Baby Bjorn One and had no issues getting around with either of these.
Using the Bjorn once again!
From the train station it is a very quick seven minute walk to the seafront – we stayed at The Royal Hotel which is perfectly located right on the water. It’s historic from Lord Nelson (reportedly) to Winston Churchill has stayed there. We loved our room (all of the rooms are named for historical figures) which was perfect for a family as it was a two bedroom suite with a set of bunk beds. Our daughter was thrilled having her own room, and it was nice to be able to put her to bed and not worry about leaving lights on or watching TV. The hotel does not offer cots, so keep that in mind if you are bringing a child who needs one. Attached to the hotel is a bar and restaurant, which had excellent food. I cannot compliment their breakfast enough – the American Pancakes with Mascarpone Cheese, blueberry compote and bacon are probably the best pancakes I’ve ever had – As an American, I definitely approve!
One of the great things about Deal is its proximity to many attractions, all within walking distance or a short train ride away. You can walk to both Deal Castle and Walmer Castle, two both built during the reign of King Henry the VIII to protect the Kent coastline from their enemies in France. While neither buildings were open during our visit due to Covid, we were able to explore the gardens of Walmer Castle, which were stunning. The Queen Mums Garden in particular was especially noteworthy, you can see why she enjoyed spending time at its majestic pond with her Corgis. I’d love to go back to actually take in the interiors.
Walmer Castle
Dover Castle is also a short train ride away – the town of Dover doesn’t offer much, but the Castle is really fascinating. In addition to being the medieval palace of Henry II, 700 years later it was used during WW2 as a hospital – the secret wartime tunnels are definitely worth the tour.
A quick note on these attractions – they are all English Heritage sites, so it may be worth it to join for membership to see all 3 attractions and then have free entry to other locations for the rest of the year. It’s also worth mentioning that you need to book your tickets online in advance – you can’t just rock-up. We learned this the hard way when we arrived at Walmer Castle at noon and the only available time slot that day was at 16:00. Deal Castle is about a 7 minute walk from the hotel, while Walmer Castle was closer to 25 minutes away. Dover is a 20 minute train ride, but the trains come hourly.
Because we were blessed with such beautiful weather we wanted to take advantage of the beach! The husband went swimming in the channel most days, but even in the sun it was quite chilly! We took a day trip to Ramsgate to check out their beach, we can see why it’s so popular. While the town isn’t great, what it lacks in charm it makes up for with a long sandy beach and clear water. Trains to Ramsgate from Deal leave hourly, and the 25 minute walk from the train station to the town centre and beachfront is tricky with a pram – there can be a lot of traffic, and it’s a busy road. There is a nice playground in Ellington Park if, like us, you need to kill some time before your train arrives. Having been there, I don’t know if it would be worth it to return, maybe if you wanted to make a day of the beach, but lugging everything to and from the train station would be a pain (we didn’t see any taxis, but I’m sure you could book one).
Excellent Restaurants in Deal I’d Recommend Include;
The Rose – This pub would not be out of place in the Napa Valley with it’s fresh, local, and seasonal menu. Get the burger, it was one of the best we’ve ever had.
Salentinos – Perfect for family dining, this Italian restaurant served wonderful pizzas
The Boathouse – Attached to the Royal Hotel, this is a great place to grab a drink and people watch along the beachfront.
Dunkerley’s – On the pricier side, but we had delicious fresh mussels and Dover sole, so worth the cost.
In sum we fell in LOVE with Deal and highly recommend it for a weekend getaway. I may or may not have been checking out real estate listings by the end of the trip. The classic coastal vibe reminded us a lot of Cape Cod, especially the unique houses along the seafront.
