Deal

Deal sits where the English Channel narrows toward the Strait of Dover, spread along a shingle foreshore with no natural harbour. The seafront is a continuous run of Georgian and Victorian architecture facing directly onto the sea, with no road to separate the buildings from the shore. Deal Castle, built by Henry VIII in 1540, sits at the water's edge in an unusual rose-shaped plan designed to absorb cannon fire from the sea rather than dominate a hill.

Most visitors cover Deal Castle and the pier and leave. What they consistently miss is Walmer Castle, 1.5 miles south along the shingle, which takes around 25 minutes to reach on foot. Walmer was the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and the Duke of Wellington held the post for 23 years, dying here in 1852. His library chair and the boots that gave Wellington boots their name are displayed in the room where he died. The visitor numbers at Walmer are a fraction of those at Deal.

May to September is the main season. September is the strongest month: summer warmth persists, Deal Castle and the Time Ball Tower are still on full hours, and the independent food and drink scene on South Street and Beach Street is at its most active without peak crowds. English Heritage sites here reduce hours significantly between November and March -- confirm before visiting outside the main season.