Birchington-on-Sea

Birchington-on-Sea is a village on the north Kent coast that spreads along three beaches backed by white chalk cliffs. Natural caves run through the cliff face and open toward the North Sea.

The settlement was first recorded in 1240 and takes its name from a former farm where birch trees grew. Roman archaeological finds reveal the area was inhabited in ancient times.

The Powell-Cotton Museum at Quex Park displays over 500 preserved animals from Africa and Asia in natural habitat settings. The collection reflects how early 20th-century museums brought distant wildlife to local audiences and showcased hunting traditions of that era.

The railway station on the Chatham Main Line offers regular train connections to London Victoria and nearby towns such as Margate and Canterbury. Visitors can reach the village easily by train and have quick access to larger towns in the region.

The grave of artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti lies in the All Saints Church cemetery. Rossetti was a leading figure in the 19th-century art movement and chose this location for his final resting place.