Where I work.

The bays — south to north

Broadstairs runs as a string of chalk bays cut into the clifftop, each one with its own character. Full name of the town is "Broadstairs & St Peter's" — the two settlements are contiguous but distinct. Working south to north:

• Dumpton Gap — the southern bay, taking its name from a 13th-century yeoman "Dudeman." Quieter than Viking Bay; residential clifftop and beach access.
• Viking Bay — the main town beach, Blue-Flag-designated, with the harbour and the town centre behind it. Above the bay sits Fort House (renamed Bleak House), where Dickens stayed and wrote David Copperfield.
• Stone Bay — quiet clifftop residential belt north of Viking Bay. Handsome Edwardian villas facing the sea; mature laurel and Leylandii screens on almost every plot.
• Joss Bay — the surf beach; wide, sandy, backed by the North Foreland lighthouse. Between-let holiday-home turnover here is notable.
• Kingsgate Bay — the chalk arch and sea caves. Kingsgate Castle overlooks it. Charles II landed here in 1683 (hence "Kings-gate").

North Foreland

Distinct enough to be its own patch. The North Foreland Estate is a gated private road running along the headland, with the lighthouse and the golf club at the tip. High-spec gardens, absentee owners in London, private beach access via a padlocked cliff tunnel. Access via the estate's private road needs prior arrangement, and the standard here is precision work, not efficiency. Premium tier of the CT10 hedge round.

St Peter's

Historic parish, contiguous with Broadstairs. Church of St Peter-in-Thanet dates to c.1080. The full civic name of the town is "Broadstairs & St Peter's" — this is not two towns, it is one town with two historic cores. Older housing stock, more field-hedge boundaries at the inland edge. St Peter's has its own designated conservation area (13 April 1973).

Pierremont

The park and immediate neighbourhood around Pierremont Hall (built 1785). Princess Victoria summered here between 1826 and 1836 as a child. The Broadstairs Folk Week marquee has been pitched on the park since 1937 — the 89th edition ran in 2026. Villa stock on the streets around the park is generally handsome and well-kept.

Reading Street

Small inland hamlet north-west of Broadstairs, with 1600s Flemish-refugee roots. Its own designated conservation area (13 April 1973). Field-boundary hedges here are more classic native — hawthorn, blackthorn, holly, some elder — than the coastal Escallonia-and-Griselinia belt closer to the seafront.

Conservation areas across the CT10

Three designated CAs cover much of the town:

• Broadstairs CA — designated 5 June 1970. Extended 1986, and extended twice more (North and South) on 23 July 2009.
• St Peter's CA — designated 13 April 1973.
• Reading Street CA — designated 13 April 1973.

North Foreland, Stone Bay and Pierremont are not standalone CAs — parts of them fall inside the Broadstairs CA extensions, but not all. Article 4 directions (which extend planning control further) do not apply anywhere in Broadstairs; those are Ramsgate territory. Full CA rules explainer.

Not sure if I cover your postcode?

The Broadstairs round covers CT10 in full — Broadstairs, St Peter's, and everything between Dumpton Gap and Kingsgate. CT9 (Margate) and CT11 (Ramsgate) are separate rounds. If you are between two towns and unsure, ask.