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Ramsgate Tourist Information


Ramsgate is a popular seaside town in Thanet, East Kent. It has lovely sandy beaches which first attracted visitors in the 19th century. Earliest records are of Ramisgate or Remmesgate around 1225 although it is known that St Augustine landed in the area much earlier, in 597AD, as a missionary.

Ramsgate was a small fishing and farming community until 1749 when the harbour was built. It is the only royal harbour in the UK and was the main embarkation point for ships to both the Napoleonic Wars and Dunkirk in 1940.

In 1901 the area was serviced by an electric tram service which ran for 11 miles linking Ramsgate with Margate and Broadstairs.

With the development of aviation, the flat area around Ramsgate proved ideal for emergency landings and eventually RAF Manston was opened in 1916. It operated throughout World War I and World War II when the area was heavily bombed. The RAF finally withdrew in 1996 and the airport now operates as Kent International Airport with some military use as the Defence Fire Training and Development Centre.


Present Day Ramsgate

Ramsgate is a typical English seaside resort with elegant Georgian houses along the sea front and a good supply of ice cream parlours, beach shops and fish and chip shops. Its population is around 40,000. The large marina attracts many summer visitors.

This historic town has plenty of modern amenities including supermarkets, chain stores, local shops, bars, restaurants and even a casino. On Fridays and Saturdays there is a local market which is a great place to trawl for bargains.

Ramsgate has some beautiful architecture and squares with more than 900 listed buildings. Augustus Pugin lived here and he designed many local houses to showcase his talents. He is best known for his work on the Houses of Parliament.

His son Edward designed the Granville Hotel in the 1870s which gave Ramsgate a glamourous appeal with its Gothic grandeur. With its luxury amenities and Turkish baths, the hotel accommodated many rich and royal guests. It has since been converted into luxury flats.

Being just 75 minutes by train from London St Pancras, Ramsgate is very accessible for those wanting to escape the city for a day trip or even longer.


Things to do in Ramsgate

The sheltered sandy beach is popular with young families and part of the Kent beach is dog-friendly. The clifftops offer excellent opportunities for clifftop walks with great sea views.

The modern marina and port provided excellent opportunities for sea fishing, sailing, watersports and even day trips across to Ostend in Belgium. There are plenty of pleasure cruises around the harbour to see the seal colonies and the scenic waterfront is lined with cafés and pubs with outdoor tables.

The former RAF Manston site now houses the RAF Manston History Museum, the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum and the Manston Fire Museum, which all make an interesting day out.

For golfers there are some championship golf courses around Sandwich and Deal, both less than ten miles from Ramsgate.

Further afield, the Kent coastline is dotted with many historic castles such as Dover Castle, Deal Castle and Hever Castle, the former home of Anne Boleyn.

 

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Directions
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Attractions near Ramsgate
Ramsgate Maritime Museum (< 1 Mile)*
Ramsgate Maritime Museum focuses strongly on Ramsgate and its immediate environs, with a brief introduction to the rest of the region's maritime past.
Powell-Cotton Museum (5 Miles)*
The Park, gardens and woodlands provide an attractive and tranquil backdrop to Quex House, one of Kent's finest Regency houses, and the Powell-Cotton Museum a vast collection of treasures gathered on twenty-eight expeditions to Africa and Asia.
White Mill Rural Heritage Centre (5 Miles)*
The Windmill was built around 1760. It was used to grind wheat, barley and oats. In 1889 a steam engine was installed to drive the mill when there was no wind.
more attractions in Ramsgate and things to do in Ramsgate ...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

What's near Ramsgate

Attractions:
  Ramsgate Maritime Museum  <1 Mile
  Powell-Cotton Museum  5 Miles
  White Mill Rural Heritage Centre  5 Miles
more attractions in Ramsgate...
 
Towns:
  Broadstairs  2 Miles
  Manston  3 Miles
  Garlinge  3 Miles
more towns near Ramsgate...
 
Estate Agents:
  Cooke and Co Estate Agents  <1 Mile
  Spicer McColl Ramsgate  <1 Mile
  Your Move  <1 Mile
Hotels:
  The Oak Hotel  <1 Mile
  Comfort Inn Ramsgate (Formerly The San Clu Hotel)  <1 Mile
  The Royal Harbour Hotel  <1 Mile
more hotels in Ramsgate area...
 
Bed and Breakfast:
  Abbeygail  <1 Mile
  Redcot House Boutique B & B  <1 Mile
  Royale Guest House  1 Mile
more bed and breakfasts near Ramsgate...
 
Self Catering:
  Ramsgate Holiday Flat  <1 Mile
  Coastguards Cottages  <1 Mile
  Harbour Cottage  <1 Mile
more self catering near Ramsgate...
 
Campsites:
  Two Chimneys Caravan Park  4 Miles
  St Margaret's Bay Holiday Park  13 Miles
  Seaview Holiday Park  15 Miles
TIC: Ramsgate Tourist Information Centre     Tel: 01843 583333  <1 Mile



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Towns near Ramsgate
Broadstairs Tourist Information (2 Miles)*
Broadstairs has an old world charm all of its own. There are winding streets, and fishermen's cottages cluster round the harbour. Viking bay is the town's main beach, but there are six other bays for you to enjoy.
Manston Tourist Information (3 Miles)*
Garlinge Tourist Information (3 Miles)*
more towns near Ramsgate...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Hotels near Ramsgate
Comfort Inn Ramsgate (Formerly The San Clu Hotel) (< 1 Mile)*
Situated on Ramsgate's East Cliff, this Comfort Inn features a beauty salon, free Wi-Fi and ample free parking. Some of the en suite rooms have sea views and a balcony.
The Oak Hotel (< 1 Mile)*
In the only Royal Harbour in the country, The Oak Hotel offers marina and harbour views, in the seaside resort of Ramsgate. Each room features a 32-inch LCD TV. Atlantis seafood restaurant and bar offer a wide variety of seafood, including fresh oysters.
The Royal Harbour Hotel (< 1 Mile)*
Comprised of adjoining Georgian town houses dating back to 1799, this charming, individual hotel in Ramsgate's historic garden crescent has amazing harbour and sea views.
more Ramsgate hotels (and nearby)...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Self Catering near Ramsgate
Harbour Cottage (< 1 Mile)*
Harbour Cottage is one of a row of whitewashed mews cottages within a picturesque conservation area in the only Royal Harbour town in Britain. It originally belonged to a local fisherman and his family around 1840.
Quintessential Cottages (7 Miles)*
Luxury grade II listed smugglers' cottages nestling in Deals picturesque conservation area, 50 metres from the beach. Beautifully decorated and stylishly furnished throughout.
Your property could be here
Advertising your self catering property or holiday cottage on AboutBritain.com will get you noticed by thousands of potential guests every day.
more self catering near Ramsgate ...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

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