My base for the weekend is a gorgeous, topsy-turvy Georgian townhouse built in 1835 and perched on the secluded, leafy Hawley Square. The square itself is steeped in history, having been developed in the 1760s as a reaction to the rise in visitors being advised by medical professionals to “take in the sea air.” How very Jane Austen of them. Just a few doors down is the rather dilapidated Theatre Royal, which closed for restoration in 2022, the bones of which are strikingly beautiful despite the haunted appearance.
Back to my Airbnb, however, and there’s no haunted feeling here; it feels truly lived in, and that’s exactly what it is. The house is owned and occupied (when not rented out) by architect Sam and their partner, Carlos, an artist who travels between Margate and Bogota frequently for work. What sets this property apart is the care, love, and creativity that you feel in every corner and detail throughout. Eclectic artwork covers much of the wall space. Forget about generic prints of Big Ben or wishy-washy seascapes in ill-fitting frames; here, expansive pieces span entire walls, palm trees climb through furniture, towers of baked-bean cans stand sentry, and hammers are purposefully lodged in the living room wall. The walls themselves resemble artwork, too, with distressed paint adding texture and character. Everything about this place seems to breathe as if it has a mind of its own, giving new meaning to the phrase “if these walls could talk.”
On the ground floor is a large and bright dining room with south-facing bay windows. A curved archway leads into a sleek kitchen with a functional island that’s equipped for actual use (not the obligatory single pan and incomplete set of cutlery that plagues the bog-standard Airbnb). We wend our way up the winding staircase to the first floor, a bright and airy living room that glows in the afternoon light. There are two double bedrooms available, both equipped with gorgeous walnut bed frames and feathery Egyptian cotton sheets. The primary bedroom is on the top floor with views skimming the rooftops of Margate. In the adjacent bathroom, dusty pink tiles make my heart sing, and a large rolltop bath couldn’t help but entice me in after a long day’s stomping round galleries and vintage shops.
In terms of location, this is an ideal spot to make the most of Margate. Just a 10-minute walk from the station and a mere five minutes to the seafront, Turner Contemporary, and the Old Town, everything you could need is within easy reach. We would pop out to the nearby Curve cafe for our morning coffee and pastry fix before ambling around galleries or stopping for lunch by the seafront. Afternoons are whiled away at the local market and spent getting lost amidst antiques and books in the various shops filled with fascinating bric-a-brac. With the browsing itch suitably scratched, we’d rest our laurels at the cosy George & Heart pub for a restorative drink before a fresh seafood supper at one of the many trendy dining addresses that have sprung up over the years—Sargasso and Dory’s are our favorites on this occasion. The next day, we wandered to trendy Cliftonville for a hefty brunch of sausage sandwiches and specialty coffee.
It was sad to turn the key and say goodbye to this quirky Hawley Square house, and I can only hope to return next autumn. Maybe it will even entice me to visit in the busy summer months?
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A version of this article was originally published on Conde Nast Traveller UK.
