Northern Belle

This seafarers' tavern takes pride and place as the oldest standing pub in Margate. Found up a tiny lane opposite the stone pier, it has few concessions to modernity. It issued from a combination of two fishermen's cottages, built about 1680, which stood right on the water's edge, it was known as the Waterman's Arms and, before that, the Aurora Borealis. Its present title derives from an American merchant ship which ran aground off North Foreland in 1857. It is said that as the crew were put up at the Belle (then closed) the management decided to reopen the pub with a topical name.