Margate is a historic seaside town on the Isle of Thanet in north-east Kent, celebrated for its wide sandy beaches, Georgian Old Town and thriving arts scene. Once a Victorian holiday resort popular with Londoners arriving by paddle steamer, Margate has reinvented itself as a cultural destination anchored by the Turner Contemporary gallery and the restored Dreamland amusement park. The town's characterful Old Town lanes, independent food scene and striking coastal light — which inspired the painter J. M. W. Turner — continue to attract visitors, artists and new residents from across the UK.