New Romney

The tide goes out for nearly a mile here, leaving vast expanses of shingle and sand that feel like the edge of the world. New Romney sits at the heart of Romney Marsh, that peculiar flatland that writer Russell Hoban once described as 'the fifth quarter of the globe'. This ancient Cinque Port has watched the sea retreat over centuries, leaving it stranded inland but still fiercely proud of its maritime heritage.

St Peters stands as a testament to the town's former importance - a proper Norman church that once welcomed pilgrims heading to Canterbury. The building dominates the market square, where Thursday mornings still bring a modest but authentic market that locals actually use. Few tourists bother with New Romney itself, which is precisely its charm.

The real draw lies eastward towards Dungeness. That extraordinary landscape of shingle ridges and nuclear power stations feels utterly alien - part wasteland, part nature reserve. The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway chugs out there from New Romney station, a proper steam railway that's been running since 1927. Dungeness Old Lighthouse offers cracking views across the marsh, while the Denge Sound Mirrors - those concrete early warning dishes from the 1920s - stand like modernist sculptures against the sky.

Broomhill Sands provides a gentler seaside experience than Dungeness's stark beauty. The beach stretches for miles, popular with dog walkers and families who prefer space to facilities. Getting here couldn't be easier - the A259 runs straight through town, connecting to the M20 at junction 10. Ashford lies 15 miles northwest for proper shopping and transport links.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense. You're ideally placed to explore both the atmospheric marsh villages and the Kent coast, while New Romney itself provides all the essentials without the summer crowds that plague other coastal towns.