The popular UK seaside town now ‘run down’ and ‘full of men smoking weed on the beach’

A popular seaside town in the UK has been blasted by tourists who say it is "run down" with its image slipping due to "men smoking weed on the beach".

Margate in east Kent, has long been seen as a timeless English seaside holiday town combining old-world charm with 21st century culture. Come summer, the gorgeous coastline is packed with holidaymakers and day-trippers. 

The town boasts a promenade and boardwalks, along with a tidal bathing pool and a children's play area equipped with classic swing boats.

But for some, the reality hasn't lived up to the expectation. Many tourists who have been, claim it is “run down.” This is despite the town taking a positive turn in recent years, with investment to bring old seaside theme park, Dreamland, back to life.

One of the users posted on TripAdvisor: “The people were very friendly but god Margate is run down! Graffiti, rubbish and tatty looking buildings.”

A second user wrote: “Margate sands is undoubtably (sic) a fabulous beach but spoilt by sewage waste materials in the sea and rotting seaweed .

"The council simply does not enforce beach bylaws resulting in ghetto blasters barbecues and rubbish being left on the beach by visitors. There are still a total lack of modern public conveniences on the seafront.”

A third user said: “I felt it was exaggerating to smoke shisha at the beach, additional they also had their loud music. Shisha on the beach with all the equipment to smoke it. 

"The thing is we want to stay away from smoke and fumes. We want to smell the sea breeze not to feel like we are in a nightclub. The Thanet council should not authorised people to do whatever they want. No respect.”

In 2023, the seaside town was dubbed the fourth-worst beach resort by Which? Not only was it the worst in Kent, it was placed fourth from the bottom in the list of 100 resorts, earning a dismal score of 57 percent from visitors, reported KentLive. 

Despite that, fresh bars, cafes, and dining establishments have emerged, accompanied by a rise in vacation homes and Airbnb accommodations.

The town takes pride in the magnificent Turner Contemporary gallery, renowned for showcasing the latest art exhibitions and providing tours and activities tailored for art enthusiasts.

The town features a variety of fish and chip shops, ice cream vans, and seafront pubs. Additionally, there are two adventure golf courses for those in search of a bit of amusement. 

However, the true highlight is Dreamland, a cherished amusement park and entertainment centre that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of a traditional English seaside funfair, conveniently located just a short distance away.

While locals will not be surprised by the mixed reviews the town has encouraged for decades, the overriding opinion from many is that it's worth the visit. One person added: "We love Margate. We alway go in the summer.

"The only downsides were we struggled to find a baby changing facility and the pier smelt really bad. After speaking to locals in the pub, they said the smell was due to rotting seaweed. Nonetheless we will continue going to margate for our beach days. I love the donuts and fish n chips.”

Another one said: “A beach is a beach is a beach, it's always nice to be my the sea walking in sand with the wind howling (it's January after all).  A lovely beach but sadly Margate is run down and shows it, the tourist days are long gone. But if like me your heading down to Thanet it's lovely just to stroll and enjoy”