This guide helps you plan time around Deal and Sandwich: two English Heritage castles on the coast, a pier, a former colliery turned country park, a Roman fort, a town museum and a short riverside walk. The cards below link to each place’s InKent page. InKent lists Walmer under Deal, and Betteshanger and Richborough under Sandwich. English Heritage’s price tables did not load when we checked, so no castle or fort prices are given here. Dates are as listed on 29 October 2026.
Deal Castle
Deal Castle is an English Heritage site on Marine Road, on the seafront at Deal, described as a Tudor coastal fort. English Heritage’s page lists opening daily, 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3.15pm, on 29 October 2026, though seasonal hours can change and a Kent Attractions listing says the castle opens at weekends only in winter, so check before a weekday visit from November. Tickets are valid all day and free to English Heritage members, and booking online ahead is cheaper. English Heritage’s access page says wheelchair access is limited, with multiple staircases, no lift, no accessible toilet and some uneven ground, and lists disabled parking next to the castle.
Walmer Castle and Gardens
Walmer Castle and Gardens is run by English Heritage on Kingsdown Road in Walmer. English Heritage says the castle interiors, including the Lord Warden’s apartments, are closed for essential maintenance, with a ticket discount applied, while more than eight acres of gardens stay open. We found no reopening date. English Heritage’s page lists opening daily, 10am to 4pm, last entry 3pm, on 29 October 2026, but a Kent Attractions listing says the castle opens at weekends only in winter, so check before a weekday visit from November. It also lists free entry for RHS members on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 November to 20 December 2026. English Heritage’s access page lists the Broadwalk, Queen Mother’s Garden and Woodland Walk as wheelchair accessible on smooth gravel paths, says the castle and moat are reached by stairs only with no lift, and lists accessible toilets and wheelchair and mobility scooter loan.
Deal Pier
Deal Pier is on Beach Street, and White Cliffs Country, Dover District Council’s tourism site, lists free entry. It gives April to November hours of Sunday to Thursday 8am to 10pm and Friday and Saturday 8am to midnight, and December to March hours of Sunday to Thursday 8am to 6pm and Friday and Saturday 8am to midnight, subject to weather. Anglers can fish year-round with tickets from a machine at the entrance, and Deal Pier Kitchen is at the end of the pier. Cycling, skateboarding, scooting and skating are not allowed. The pier opened in 1957 and is 313 metres long. White Cliffs Country lists accessible toilets, baby changing and the pier as wheelchair-user friendly.
Betteshanger Country Park
Betteshanger Country Park, on Sandwich Road, is on the site of the former Betteshanger colliery. The park says entry on foot or by bicycle is free and that parking is charged all day, every day, from £2.50 for up to an hour on 29 October 2026, with Blue Badge holders parking free after registering. It has a 3.5 km tarmac track, about 11 km of mountain bike trails, a play area, bike hire and the Lamp Room cafe. The Kent Mining Museum and the cafe are listed as open Wednesday to Sunday, the museum from 9.30am to 4pm. The park lists 8am to 5pm but says hours vary. It lists Blue Badge spaces nearest the visitor centre and three accessible toilets, but says the main area is gravel with some uneven surfaces.
Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre
Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre is run by English Heritage, off Richborough Road near Sandwich. English Heritage lists opening daily, 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3.30pm, on 29 October 2026, though seasonal hours can change and we could not confirm winter days, so check before a weekday visit from November. Tickets are free to members and cheaper booked online ahead. English Heritage’s access page lists reinforced grass paths, steps between levels and up the rampart, no lift, accessible toilets, wheelchair loan and no specified disabled spaces in the car park, and advises manual wheelchair users to bring an assistant.
Sandwich Guildhall Museum
Sandwich Guildhall Museum and its historic courtroom are in the Guildhall on Cattle Market in Sandwich. The museum’s own site lists free entry, with donations welcome, and opening Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. The courtroom is sometimes closed, and although the museum’s visit page lists no winter closures, Sandwich Town Council’s page says the museum is closed over Christmas and New Year, so check dates first. The museum lists wheelchair access, disabled parking behind the Guildhall in the Cattle Market car park and an AccessAble access guide.
Sandwich Quay and Fisher Gate
The Quay and the Fisher Gate can be seen from the street at any time. Discovering Britain lists a self-guided walk of about two miles, circular, that starts and finishes at the Town Bridge on the Quay and passes the Fisher Gate. The Fisher Gate is Grade I listed and a scheduled monument. The list entry, as reproduced by British Listed Buildings and Kent’s Historic Environment Record, dates its lower flint portions to about 1384 and its brick upper floors to about 1578, while Discovering Britain gives 1380 and 1581. We found no operator, price or access statement for this open-air stop.
Choosing between them
- Castles and Roman remains: Deal Castle, the Walmer Castle gardens and Richborough.
- Free, according to their own or the council’s listings: Deal Pier, the Sandwich Guildhall Museum and Betteshanger on foot or by bicycle.
- Walking: the Sandwich Quay and Fisher Gate walk and Betteshanger’s tarmac track.
- With children: Betteshanger’s play area and bike trails, and the pier.
Planning the day
Walmer Castle’s interiors are closed, so go for the gardens and check the hours first. The two museums have set days: the Sandwich Guildhall Museum and the Kent Mining Museum at Betteshanger both list Wednesday to Sunday only. We have no distances between the places, so check a map before you decide what to link.
Getting there
Disabled parking for the Sandwich Guildhall Museum is behind the Guildhall in the Cattle Market car park. We have no parking details for the castles. Use the operators’ journey planners for current train and bus services.
Frequently asked questions
Can I go inside Walmer Castle?
Not at present, according to English Heritage: the castle interiors are closed for essential maintenance. The gardens stay open, and we found no reopening date.
Is Deal Pier open in winter?
White Cliffs Country lists winter hours, from December to March, of 8am to 6pm Sunday to Thursday and 8am to midnight on Friday and Saturday, subject to weather.
Is Sandwich Guildhall Museum free?
Yes. The museum’s own site lists free entry, with donations welcome.