The real Deal

“It’s nine miles from Dover, in the direction of Sandwich,” I’d explain. At the mention of Dover, they’d lose interest. This was fine. A big part of the attraction was in keeping Deal to myself.

How I love the 1930s seafront shelters that look like flying saucers, the line of pastel-shaded fishermen’s cottages and grand Victorian abodes that line the beach, and the wild coastal gardens of Kingsdown, filled with red valerian and stripy beach huts.

Back then, scooting along the prom to push pennies into slots in the lovely family-run Deal Arcade or scoffing a choc sundae in the Beach Parlour (which continues to evoke 60s seaside fun), was as exciting as it got for my three young boys. Since then, the town has blossomed into one of the UK’s most desirable and stylish coastal weekend boltholes — but the atmosphere’s just the same.

Deal’s growth in popularity began a few years back with the new high-speed rail link from London St Pancras, making it more accessible for DFLs (Down From Londons; a friendly nickname coined by locals), although they were far from the first tempted to invade.

Rough brutes have stomped across Deal’s pebbles en route to villainy from as long ago as 55 BCE when Julius Caesar landed here, and you’ll find reference to this historic event in the new Roman-themed adventure golf, due to open on Walmer Green this month.

Henry VIII wasn’t taking any chances with the French and Spanish following suit and in 1539, he built the castle here to defend the coast.

Two centuries later, it was an even rowdier scene, packed with taverns and brothels and so criminal that in 1784 Prime Minister William Pitt sent soldiers to burn all the boats. Smugglers’ tunnels and secret hiding places running from house to house can still be found in what is now Deal’s conservation area.

To learn more, take a historic walking tour with The History Project, whose lively re-enactments of the past 2,000 years are both informative and fun, then call in for a pint at the 600-year-old Ship Inn on Middle Street, perfect for getting a feel for Deal’s past.

Here, old men nurse pints with names such as Dark Conspiracy, and might spin a yarn about the feuds and murders of their ancestors, or offer up some surprising gossip.

King of camp, Charles Hawtrey, of Carry On film fame, regularly drank here with sailors from the nearby Royal Marine base and was barred several times for bawdy behaviour. You’ll find a blue plaque bearing his name at his former home on Middle Street.

When Deal won High Street of the Year in 2013, awarded by the Daily Telegraph, it was already home to some interesting independents; since then, it has thrived. When the Deal Saturday market (a mix of Kent’s finest produce, plus bric-a-brac stalls) is in session, the whole town comes alive, with the high street closed to traffic as locals and weekenders browse.

One trailblazer for putting Deal on the map was — and still is — Taylor-Jones & Son, a gallery for world-class art and photography, both international and local: such as Christine Hodson’s mixed media scenes of Kent’s towns and white cliffs, and Richard Taylor-Jones’s own ‘Buoy’ series (a study of a single marker buoy in the English Channel).

Other stalwarts are Dunlin & Diver for coastal-inspired homeware and accessories, such as Head West tote bags made from recycled cotton yarn by craft-maker Michele Skelt, or The Hoxton Store for faux plants, craft candles, silky gowns, and everything you didn’t realise you needed, such as ostrich feather dusters, for the home.

Newer kids on the block include Arno & Co grocery (pop in here for restaurant-quality picnics to enjoy on the beach), Urban Chic for vintage inspired women’s clothing, and Barkened for handcrafted goods to tempt dogs and their owners.

On Victoria Road, Don’t Walk Walk Gallery, owned by artist Ned Horenz-Kelly, has what he describes as ‘a punk rock ethic’, and among the collection, including his own contemporary landscape paintings, you’ll find pencil drawings by Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves) along with work by Noel Fielding.

For a small town, you’re really spoilt for choice when it comes to places for dinner but there are a few we return to (again and again) and which never disappoint. The Dining Club (a private members’ club costing £10 per household to join) is based in an attractive Georgian house, with an ever-changing thematic set menu, such as “Kent’s Finest”, while The Frog & Scot is arguably the best restaurant in town (the Michelin Guide agrees), and all about its large blackboard, regularly updated with whatever is fresh and seasonal.

The Rose, in the town’s first boutique hotel, dishes up locally sourced food and cocktails (try the rhubarb margarita) too, or 81 Beach Street serves a great Sunday lunch.

Back on the seafront, maritime buffs may like to make a beeline for the Time Ball Tower Museum, built in 1820 and used to pass messages in semaphore along the East Coast to the Coastal Blockade to help catch smugglers. In 1853 a time ball was added to the top, which is dropped at 1pm every day by electrical signal from Greenwich, enabling ship chronometers to be set accurately.

Just along from here, tiny Deal Castle is built in perfect symmetry in the shape of a Tudor Rose. It’s full of dingy nooks and crannies with gun ports set within the walls, where icy water drips on your head and the wind whistles eerily around your ankles.

The low circular keep at its centre is perfect for a spooky game of hide and seek and for working up an appetite for fish and chips from Middle Street Fish Bar. No weekend would be complete without those.

Most visitors don’t stroll far along Beach Street once past the pier, but those who do are in for a treat.

At the far northern end of the prom is Sandown Community Garden, on the site where another of Henry VIII’s bijoux castles once stood, built in 1539.

Brimming with marigold, forget-me-nots, dahlia, kniphofia, and bright pink balls of sea thrift, it’s the perfect spot to grab a cuppa from The Hog Box, a café on wheels on the lawn of Captain’s Garden, and take in the views to Ramsgate.

Keep your eyes peeled, because sightings of grey seals swimming back to their colony at nearby Pegwell Bay are common. Simple seaside satisfaction guaranteed.

Getting There

Southeastern trains to Deal from St Pancras take around 90 minutes and run throughout the day.

Double rooms at The Rose start from £100 per room B&B. Dogs welcome for an extra £20.

Boutique holiday apartment The Keep Deal, opposite Deal Castle, costs from £110 per night and there’s a 10% discount for readers of The JC using code ‘thekeep10’ if booked at dealholidaylets.co.uk

Tours of Deal with The History Project cost from £8 per person.

For more information, go to visitkent.co.uk

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