I went to the world's biggest Wetherspoons with a rooftop bar overlooking a sandy beach – it rivals Ibiza in the summer
If you're guessing I'm somewhere in Ibiza or Majorca, you'd be wrong by just over a thousands miles.
4
Just a short train away from my hometown (or from London, around 75 minutes) is the Royal Victoria Pavilion Wetherspoons.
But this isn't any old Spoons - it 's the biggest in the UK, therefore also the world's biggest (seeing as they are yet to branch out to anywhere abroad).
The 11,000sqft space can now fit up to 1,500 punters after a £750,000 renovation last year.
So there was no better place to spend the afternoon during the scorching weather trailing across the UK.
From the outside it looks just as impressive, complete with a silver mermaid on the roof and Grade II listed features.
And while it looks huge on the inside, with a central winding staircase taking you to the top mezanine, its the outside space that is the star of the show.
The outdoor rooftop terrace wraps around the entire building, with enough tables and chairs to fit hundreds.
The best views are found at the very back, with pub backing onto Ramsgate's artificial sandy beach.
I managed to secure a prime table in the middle, with views of the huge stretch dotted with sandcastle builders and sea swimmers.
An older couple were even a few tables away facing the sun, sleeves and shorts rolled up with their eyes closed as they tried to tan alongside their pints.
One of the UK's prettiest Wetherspoons is in an up-and-coming seaside town
4
A commitment, when the beach was just steps away.
And despite barely being lunch time, the place definitely was already picking up with it already more than half full of people getting their orders in.
Littered with palm plants and metal tables, it certainly felt like I was abroad rather than in a Kent town.
Especially when I could just about hear the baseline of some music from someones speakers at the beach...
If you prefer doing some boat window shopping, you can grab a table on the right side overlooking the harbour.
Or the front side of the roof terrace which overlooks the streets - certainly the lesser of the spots to grab.
Don't worry if you can't handle the heat either.
Downstairs is a smaller beach terrace that is fully shaded, but still with views of the beach.
You'll have to go around to get to the beach however, with no direct access but instead via an entry point next to the Wetherspoons.
But if you want that cheap beach club vibe without having to hop on a plane or buy an expensive drink - the Royal Victorian Pavilion is your best bet.
Here is everything else you need to do in Ramsgate.
And we've rounded up some of the best rooftop bars in London as well.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Alarming video reveals new twist in blame game over girl's horror plunge from Disney cruise ship
As they frolic around Disney's massive Dream cruise ship, the last thing 2,500 passengers are worried about is falling overboard. Sturdy railings stand 42.5 inches (3.5ft) off the floor, protecting a gust of wind or rough seas from throwing anyone to almost certain death.
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
A gentle five-mile trail around Killerton Park in Devon
It was the first wet day in weeks as we set out to explore Killerton Park. We'd managed to find a break in the rain, but ragged grey clouds still peppered a blue sky, sunlight piercing through, air heady with petrichor. At the chapel, a grade I listed building built for Sir Thomas Dyke Acland in 1841, a bridleway swung off the road and into the estate. Home to the Acland family for 300 years, Killerton's distinctive peach-painted, wisteria-draped house and formal gardens — a mix of Tudor, Georgian and Victorian influences — are now part of the National Trust. But the wider woods and parkland, which is home to 1,500 veteran and ancient trees, is open access, free to wander on a sprawling network of paths. • Read more wildlife & nature stories We walked through Deer Park and Back Park, verdant vales dotted with oaks, some more than 600 years old. The still air rang with birdsong: blackbirds, thrushes, robins and wrens giving forth with heart-wrenching generosity. From the 15th-century Ellerhayes Bridge, a former carriage drive led up through Park Wood, tracing the course of the River Culm through its wide valley. The longest tributary of the River Exe, the Culm — whose name means 'knots' or 'ties' due to its meandering course — flows through floodplains north of Killerton before joining the Exe. Part of a nature recovery scheme since 2021, new scrapes and ditches provide habitat while gentle longhorn cattle graze the scrub. Nature is returning rapidly and, as we made our way along the leafy fringes of Columbjohn Wood, we spotted herons and egrets down by the water. Otters are also regularly sighted here. From the valley we climbed a path through sycamore, beech and birch; red campion and buttercup colourful against layers of green. Part-way up are the deep foundations of a lost mansion, commissioned in 1775 by Sir Thomas Dyke Acland but never completed. As we paused to imagine the scale of such a house, the temperature started to drop, the air grew heavy, the woods darkened. • We spent our honeymoon on the Salt Path — these are our top 15 walks The rain began as we neared the top, pattering at first, then gaining momentum, splashing in huge, wet drops. It was, in Terry Pratchett's words, 'the kind of rain that is so much wetter than normal rain … the kind of rain that is merely an upright sea with slots in it'. We soon found ourselves in an alpine valley, tall deodar cedars rising from its steep slopes. Inspired by the picturesque movement and foreign travel, the Aclands had intended to install mountain boulders in the valley, but these never made it to Devon. Highland cattle watched through rain-matted fringes as we crossed the Plains, heading for the summit of Dolbury Hill. Known locally as The Clump, this igneous knoll and Iron Age hillfort boasts grand views across the Exe Valley on a clear day — but was now entirely swallowed by cloud. As we made our way down the rain stopped at last and the skies began to clear, warm sunshine flooding the landscape. We walked past the house, through fields bright with buttercups and orchids, to the café where we sat with cups of tea, steaming gently. How hard is it? 5 miles. Easy: paths, tracks and minor roads Start Killerton car park, EX5 3LE (OS ref SS976001) Getting there Trains to Pinhoe, bus 1A/1 towards Tiverton, alight at Killerton turn. Road — follow signs from the M5 via the B3181. Alternative non-NT parking at Ellerhayes Bridge Walk From main car park turn left onto lane, bearing left onto larger road for short distance uphill (NT members can avoid the road by following signs to chapel). At chapel bear left through gate onto bridleway, through parkland to Ellerhayes Bridge. Turn left, following track around edge of Park Wood with River Culm on right. At path junction (961002) take sharp left uphill through Columbjohn Wood. At top bear left signed Deodar Glen, then left signed Park Wood and Ellerhayes Bridge, then right signed The Plains and The Clump. Go through Irishman's Gate and across The Plains then right, uphill to The Clump. Head downhill along edge of garden boundary, through Bluebell Gate and into Front Park Bank, following signs to Stables Café to finish. Lunch Stables Café, Killerton ( Accommodation Killerton Park Cottage (3-night min; 0344 800 2070, More information Visit Devon (
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘Dizzying coastal paths, quiet beaches and dolphins': readers' highlights of the UK coastline
Between Aberystwyth and Cardigan the quiet coastline is sublime, with incredible sunsets, dizzying and spectacular coastal paths, gorgeous quiet beaches and dolphins. Start in Dylan Thomas's old stomping ground, New Quay, and follow the coastal path south along cliffs and past Cwmtydu beach before finishing at gorgeous Llangrannog, where you get two beaches for one (perfect Cliborth beach requires a lower tide to access). Kayaking and surfing are great, and the Pentre Arms provides refreshments with a Lunt The Leas near South Shields (a few miles north of Sunderland) is a beautiful stretch of limestone cliffs and coastal grassland that is a haven for sea birds and wildflowers. There are footpaths and bridle paths across the Leas, so it attracts cyclists, dog walkers and runners all year round. The local parkrun uses the paths and it must be one of the most scenic in the country. The rock stacks along the coast are a great place for spotting cormorants, fulmars and kittiwakes among others. No matter the weather I love to walks these paths and feel the fresh sea breeze through my hair. A wonderful Guardian Travel readers' tips Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print. To enter the latest competition visit the readers' tips homepage - Fife is a glorious peninsula bordered by a brilliant coastal path that takes in a variety of beaches, fishing villages and is an area rich in wildlife and diverse landscapes. The area from Crail to St Andrews is of particular beauty, with several gorgeous places to stop for lunch, such as Cambo Gardens cafe near Kingsbarns and the Cheesy Toast Shack at East Sands in St Andrews. There are loads of places to stay and use as a base to explore the region. The larch-clad cabins at Kinkell Byre offer the opportunity to rest in style. And farther north are the wonderful forest trails and sand dunes of Tentsmuir. Stevie Kirkwood Wander the banks of the River Fal and Helford River in south Cornwall, through ancient Celtic rainforest, where the trees meet the sea. This rare habitat gives us a glimpse of prehistory, with lichen-laden branches, crisp, damp air and some of the UK's rarest wildlife. It feels otherworldly, yet oddly familiar. Amy Penmon Point on the easternmost point of Ynys Môn is a great place to watch for sea birds. The stunning Trwyn Du lighthouse looks out to Puffin Island, and if you're lucky, one might fly right past you. But we have seen even more magic there when it gets dark. If conditions are just right, the waves light up electric blue with bioluminescent plankton as they crash over the pebbles. For refreshments, the Pilot House Cafe is nearby and has a fantastic view from its garden. Chris Jones You need to consult your tide tables before visiting Sunderland Point on Morecambe Bay. This extraordinary place of sea-sucked mudflats, salt marsh and vast skies is cut off daily at high tide. I cross the causeway in May when the sea pinks (sea thrift) are flowering and the air is bright with the cries of birds – oystercatchers, curlew and redshanks. It feels remote, but in the 18th century Sunderland Point was a bustling port for Lancaster's transatlantic trade, which brought prosperity but also inhumanity. A walk round the peninsula leads to the grave of an unknown child slave abandoned here in 1736, now adorned by visitors with painted stones. Its bleak beauty will break your Reavley Sign up to The Traveller Get travel inspiration, featured trips and local tips for your next break, as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays after newsletter promotion I've been walking my dog on the same stretch of coast for four years and I never tire of the sheer strangeness of it. Culmore Point is where Derry's River Foyle meets the North Atlantic. Some days you can see a line in the water where the silt-filled Foyle meets the sea. Beautiful old-money houses look out across the water to a power station and chemical plant. Farther downstream the weird treeless landscape of the reclaimed land of Eglinton Embankment catches the eye. Spare a thought too for the young men who trained on these river beaches in May 1944 for the Normandy assaults a month From West Kirby on Wirral, you can walk across the tidal flats of the Dee estuary to the red sandstone formations of Little Eye, Middle Eye, and Hilbre Island, a string of uninhabited islands offering naught but spectacular nature. In summer you can spot grey seals hauling themselves on to sandbanks, and three types of terns (common, little and sandwich) darting past. Listen out for skylarks and meadow pipits too. For an extra challenge, search for the Triassic-era Chirotherium footprint. Always check tide times carefully, and for extra awe, time your return to the sun setting low, framed by the distant Welsh Cycling along the North East Coastal Trail from Portsoy to Macduff in Aberdeenshire is my idea of heaven. In stunning coastal countryside you cycle through charming fishing villages with historic harbours. I've spotted dolphins, porpoises and seals on the route. On a rocky coastline just beyond Macduff, there's an old tidal pool at Tarlair. Though no longer used for swimming, its beautifully restored art deco tea pavilion is the perfect spot to refuel before your journey back. While there, take a short wander to the secluded Salmon Howie beach tucked behind the cliffs – it's such a beautiful Diender When, as a child, I read Z For Zachariah, I imagined a landscape with the exact fin-du-monde energy of the East Yorkshire beach from Ulrome to Bridlington. On this stretch of Holderness, you'll find neither the Norfolk chalk boards of iced latte and shakshuka nor the monastic ghosts of farther north. But if six miles of uninterrupted beach walk – in the company of nothing more glamorous than pure air, weather and proper decay (not the genteel sort) – is your thing, this is a place you should visit. Morcheeba soundtrack optional. Tired legs and a cleansed soul Ainley
