There are four hundred and forty-three Listed buildings in Ramsgate, an incredible number and a sign that this seaside town has not only a fascinating history but a unique beauty and character.
It also has the honour of being the only Royal Harbour, a title bestowed in 1821 by His Majesty King George IV as thanks for the warm welcome he received when visiting on his way to Hanover.
The Victorians loved Ramsgate as they did the Thanet coastline and beaches. Augustus Pugin, acclaimed designer of the interior of Westminster Palace is a man who looms large in the history of the town, his Gothic Revival architecture is famed and some fine examples will be discovered as you wander the town.
In 1876, at age twenty-three, Vincent Van Gogh, the artist, took a role as an assistant teacher in a school in Royal Road. He wrote home, “These are really happy days, the ones I’m spending here…’
It always surprises me then, that so many, when you mention Thanet and Ramsgate, act dismissively. It is a shame, but like other areas I know, it’s great for those who know better.
Now, I’m not for one minute going to try and tell you that Ramsgate is perfect, nowhere is perfect, but Ramsgate is a town that is seeing a strong revival and it has fallen under the spotlight in more recent times, a spotlight that shines very favourably upon it.
Undoubtedly the advent of the High Speed link to the coast has had a huge impact, seventy-four minutes from Ramsgate station to Kings Cross St Pancras, a similar journey time that many once took from Ashford Station to Charing Cross, places this delightful town and its very attractive property prices firmly in commuter territory.
How wonderful to come back from a full days work in the City and be able to stroll down of a summer’s evening for a drink and a meal in this delightful harbour setting! More and more people have succumbed to the lure, and found, as Van Gogh did, that there are happy days to be enjoyed here.
Ramsgate is a town to be explored, to enjoy in many ways and it is somewhere that will inspire adventures, wander the old streets, sip a drink overlooking the harbour, photograph seals on the Goodwin Sands, take a trip and discover your Ramsgate.
Royal Harbour of Ramsgate
The Pugin Society
Van Gogh in Ramsgate
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