Its steep shingle beach levels out to a fairly flat chalk seabed from about 5 metres. Whilst the visibility is not the best in the channel there is still plenty to see if you focus on the smaller picture.

Facilities include a slipway for launching small boats, parking (pay and display) toilets, a café, not to mention the excellent ale and food of the Coastguard, apparently England's closest pub to France.

Divers should be aware of the small craft channel, marked from the slipway by yellow buoys.

St Margaret's Bay is 1.5 miles west of Dover, off the A258 Deal to Dover road. Continue through the village, heading towards the se, down a steep road to the public car park at the bottom.