Ramsgate Local History and Attractions

Ramsgate's unique situation has played a pivitol role in its history. It is situated on the eastern side of Thanet which, until the middle ages, was an island separated from the mainland by the River Stour and the Wantsum channel, making it very close to and easily accessible from the continent. Areas in and around Ramsgate have witnessed 3 of the 5 great landings on English soil which have changed the course of the countrys history. The Romans landed at Richborough in 43AD and from there went on the conquer the rest of the country. Hengist and the Saxons landed at Pegwell bay in 449AD and after defeating the Britans became the king of Kent, thereby establishing the first Anglo-saxon kingdom in England. St Augustines arrival in Kent in597AD marked the intronduction of Chritianity to the country. The earlist population of Ramsgate centered at St Lawrence with a small fishing community settled near by.


It wasn't untill the beggining of the 18th centurythat the town began to flourish. The construction of the harbour in 1759 established ramsgate as a port for trade and it became a garrison town during the Napolionic wars. Soon after the benefits of holidaying by the sea were being promoted and with its proximity to London, Ramsgate developed into a fashionable resort visited by royalty and the aristocracy. Handsome terraces and squares of Regency villas were built and in 1821 King George VI (bloody german!!) bestowed royal status on the harbour (oh lucky us) still the only one in England. As a princess Queen Victoria holidayed in Ramsgate several times, but it was with the coming of the railway in 1863 that Ramsgate became a truly popular seaside resort. The Victorian artist William Frith immortalised Ramsgate Sands in the painting "A day at the seaside". Today visitors can enjoy pavement cafe's, bars and resurants overlooking the marina, nature reserves, sandy bays,beach walks, and cycling tours, history and architecture, nightclubs and theatres.

Visitor Information Center: 17 Albert Court, York St, Ramsgate Tel:0870 264 6111
Email:tourism.thanet.gov.uk www.tourism.thanet.gov.uk


Maritime Events
The harbour is a regular port of call for the Heineken race of the classics, one of europes biggest classic ship races which this year saw a total of 20 tall ships crewed by a mixture of proffessional sailors and students making Ramsgate there only stop of the race. The summer months see thousands of spectators enjoy a range of events at the harbour, including the Powerboat Grand Prix which boasts an awesome display of power. Ramsgate week organised by the Royal Temple Yacht Club based in the town is the third largest IRC annual regatta in the UK, offering an international flavour with competitors from Holland, Belgium and France. This years events culminates on 31 July with the final race for the prestigous Gold Cup. New this year to the programme are the X332 National Championships which run from 27th-30th August. Up to 30 boats are expected to take part in six races over four days.The harbour has welcomed a series of historic ships in the last few years including the "Endeavour" a replica of the 18th century vessel which took Captain James Cook and his crew three times aroung the world. "The Grand Turk" famous for her starring roles in maritime TV classics such as "Hornblower" and "Longitude" has also becam a regular visitor to Ramsgate.


Royal Marina
Home to the Uk's only Royal Harbour it offers dedicated permanent and visiting mooring facilities, there are berths in both the inner and outer marinas, with 24 hour security manning and CCTV coverage. First class visitor facilites, including free showers, toilets and laundrette facilites are available to boat owners. Overlooked by a series of picturesque promenades and crescents the harbour area boasts some of the best examples of Regency and Victorian architecture in the south east of England.with more than 200 listed buildings around the sea front. The area also has a rich underwater maritime heritage show cased at the towns Maritame Museum which is housed in the early 19th century Grade II listed clock house at the royal harbour with four galleries looking at the sea faring life in East Kent. Exhibits include artifacts recovered from the Goodwin Sands shipwrecks with items from the "Stirling Castle" lost in the great storm of 1703.