Turner Contemporary

The gallery sits right on Margate's seafront, a striking glass and steel structure that looks a bit like it's about to slide into the sea. Inside, you get contemporary art - the kind that makes you think, occasionally makes you cross your arms and squint, and sometimes genuinely stops you in your tracks. The building itself is half the experience; floor-to-ceiling windows mean you're never far from views across the Thames estuary.

It's brilliant for art types, obviously, but also surprisingly good for families who don't mind teenagers wandering off to contemplate installations for twenty minutes. Kids under ten might fidget - there's no interactive children's wing here, which is refreshing if you're after actual art rather than distraction. The café does decent coffee and the bookshop's worth a browse.

Admission to the main galleries is free, though special exhibitions sometimes charge. Allow two hours to see everything without rushing; you could do it in ninety minutes if you're selective. Weekday afternoons are quieter than weekends. Summer weekends get rammed.

It slots well into a longer Thanet visit. Margate itself has the old amusement arcade feel, decent fish and chips, and a proper rocky beach. Birchington Vale Holiday Park is just down the coast - close enough that a rainy afternoon at the gallery makes perfect sense. The Foxhunter is further out near Faversham, which means you're committing to the drive, but worth it if you're settling in for a week.