Dreamland in Margate

A funfair – especially one by the seaside! – definitely conjures up memories of being by the seaside as a child, enjoying fish and chips and candy floss on the sea front.

James and I got the train from London St. Pancras to Margate, which took us around an hour and a half.

The train was super fast and comfortable, whizzing through the city and out into the countryside. Once we got to Margate, it was a quick 5 minute walk along the seafront to find Dreamland.

The park dates back to early 1860’s, where it was once a 16-acre park with a zoo, miniature railway, cinema, cafes, restaurants, bars and retail. The park was renamed as Dreamland in 1920, and was thankfully saved in 2003 from being turned into housing. The park was refurbished with millions and incorporates the British seaside heritage to help it last forever.

Dreamland regularly hold events and festivals, and are currently in the process of holding their Halloween themed Screamland!

Dreamland is now an amusement park and entertainment centre, with garish colours, retro styling and decor and Instagram worthy snaps wherever you turn! Margate has recently undergone a multi-million pound redevelopment, which as a result has put Margate firmly on the map as an upcoming, exciting and regenerated seaside town.

It’s a free park to enter and you simply pay per ride you’d like to go on – or you can nab wristbands for unlimited rides in the park for a nominal fee! There are dozens of rides for children and adults to enjoy, including the scenic railway, carousel, chair-o-plane and the big wheel. There are also small attractions to walk around like the mirror game, and there are fairground games to play throughout the park.

James and I picked up our tickets and got ready to explore the park!

As it turned out, James and I were quite poorly that weekend so we opted for a couple rides on the gentle Big Wheel. We queued for a few minutes and then took our place in our own little rocking pod. On the big wheel, we had picturesque views over Margate to our right, and the sea to our left. The weather stayed dry for us luckily, so we were able to enjoy the ride and take in the views of the seaside town.

After a couple of goes on the big wheel, we walked around the park to check out the smaller rides, including the Mirror Maze. James and I actually managed to get lost in the maze for a good few minutes – which was a little scary considering the creepy music and clown-like theme! We managed to escape the mirror maze and headed out to find some lunch.

We shared buttermilk chicken strips and crunchy fries, then headed to a little quirky caravan called Naughty Floss.

The kitsch decor and bright colours caught my eye, so I had to check out this little caravan!

Naughty Floss make natural candy floss using organic cane sugar, made with unique flavours and sprinkled with quirky finishing touches.

We ordered the Berry Popping-Candy Candy Floss, with a cute sparkly parrot poked into the top!

It was my first time having candy floss, and I actually enjoyed it. It was deliciously sweet and soft, and the popping candy added a delicious after taste. The parrot was a lovely touch, too!

We had a go in the arcades and James won me a bear, which I ended up calling Marg, and snapped some cute photos in the photo booth.

I had a lovely whistle stop tour of Margate, and I look forward to visiting again once the Summer comes back around.

After we explored Dreamland for a couple of hours, we headed to Cinque Ports for an incredible meal, with truffle mac and cheese and the most generously portioned buttermilk chicken burger! If you ever find yourself in Margate, Cinque Ports is the best restaurant to head to for locally sourced dishes and crafty cocktails!

 

Have you been to Margate before?