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The Obelisk in Ramsgate, fondly nicknamed “The Royal Toothpick” by generations of locals, is a historic Grade II listed monument erected to commemorate the visits of King George IV in 1821. In appreciation of the warm hospitality he received, the King bestowed the unique title of “Royal Harbour” upon the port, making Ramsgate the only harbour in the United Kingdom permitted to bear this honour.
The Clock House is a historic, Grade II* listed 19th-century building on the quayside of Ramsgate Royal Harbour.
The Clock House is undergoing a major restoration/extension project. Once complete, the updated site will feature refreshed historical exhibition spaces and a brand-new adjacent cafe extension.
Expected to re-open in Autumn 2026.
ST (Steam Tug) Cervia is a historic, 350-ton deep-sea ocean-going steam tugboat. It is highly notable as the last sea-going commercial steam tug to survive in UK waters and is believed to be the final surviving “Empire Class” vessel in the United Kingdom.
A Ramsgate Historic Vessel.
60ft overall length 15ft beam 28 tons gross weight Larch planking on British oak frame. Built for the Admiralty in 1943 by Carnie of Scotland as Admiralty Type Motor Fishing Vessel 617. MFV617’s intended wartime use was as an armed supply and escort ship, with anticipated later conversion to a fishing trawler.
The Home for Smack Boys was founded in 1881. It provided a safe place, food, and beds for young apprentice boys as young as 10 who worked on sailing fishing boats called smacks. Many of these boys were orphans or sent from local workhouses.
Called smack boys, they made up most of the hard-working crews on local fishing boats.
Ramsgate is home to one of the largest and most ambitious examples of Pulhamite coastal landscaping in the country, with five Grade II listed seafront locations forming a nationally important open-air heritage trail.
The suggested east-to-west route begins at Winterstoke Gardens on the East Cliff and continues towards Albion Place Gardens, Madeira Walk, Royal Parade Harbour Arches and Western Undercliff Chine.
Albert Court and Charlotte Court are small, interconnected historic courtyards and lanes located in the heart of Ramsgate’s town centre, just yards from the Ramsgate Royal Harbour. They are vibrant hubs for local creative regeneration, community projects, and events.
Christ Church is a Grade II listed Anglican parish church. Conceived in 1846–1847.
Vale Square is a highly sought-after, historic residential square celebrated for its intact Grade II listed Greek Revival architecture and its beautiful central community garden.
The Royal Victoria Pavilion (commonly referred to as the Royal Harbour Pavilion) is a historic, Grade II-listed landmark located on Harbour Parade in Ramsgate. Built in 1903 and designed by architect Stanley Davenport Adshead.
Today it houses the largest Wetherspoon’s Pub in the UK and ‘Papa’s Fish & Chips, a traditional Fish restaurant and takeaway.
The Westcliff Rose Garden is a beautiful, tranquil, and historic coastal green space situated along the West Cliff Promenade. It’s Ramsgate’s only formal rose garden, it provides a calm, sunny retreat with stunning views out over the sea.
Seating is arranged across the lawns and under a protective canopy for visitors looking to relax and take in the sea air.
Ramsgate offers scenic coastal routes made up of several distinct walkways. The East Cliff Promenade and West Cliff Promenade dominate the clifftops, joined by the smaller Paragon Promenade on the west side. Below, running parallel to Ramsgate Main Sands, the Marina Esplanade connects with the lower East Cliff Promenade to create a sea level coastal route.
The Hands and Molecule sculpture is a striking 2.4-metre (8-foot) bronze landmark on Ramsgate’s scenic West Cliff Promenade. Perched along the Royal Esplanade, this prominent artwork depicts a giant pair of hands emerging from the ground to cradle a complex molecular structure. The sculpture overlooks Pegwell Bay.
Courtstairs Park is a small, picturesque cliff-top green space. Located at the end of the West Cliff Promenade overlooking Pegwell Bay, it acts as a tranquil community getaway featuring a mix of modern family spaces and local wildlife initiatives.
The cast iron gate on Harbour Street was installed in December 2021 to mark the entrance to the town centre from Ramsgate Royal Harbour.
The gate celebrates the town’s maritime heritage. Its intricate metalwork incorporates The West Pier Lighthouse, an RNLI lifeboat, and traditional fishing vessels.
[LANDMARK TRUST PROPERTY]
St Edward’s Presbytery is a Grade I listed Gothic Revival building, designed and built in 1850 by Augustus Welby Pugin. The property is actively managed by The Landmark Trust. It is primarily operated as a historic holiday rental.
Public exploration is limited to the Heritage Open Days event held annually in mid-September.
St Augustine’s Cross is a 19th-century Celtic stone monument marking where St Augustine is traditionally said to have landed in AD 597 and celebrated his first mass in Britain.
According to local legend, this is where the first meeting was held between King Æthelberht and the monk Augustine.
Montefiore Woodlands and Montefiore Synagogue are part of the legacy of Sir Moses Montefiore (1784–1885), one of the most prominent Victorian Jewish philanthropists and financiers in British history. Both sites sit on land that was originally part of his expansive country estate, East Cliff Lodge.
East Cliff Promenade and Beach is a peaceful, scenic coastal stretch located just a short walk from Ramsgate Main Sands. It offers a quieter, more natural alternative to the main sands.
Accessible at sea level from East Cliff Promenade, a flat, paved sea-level promenade running past the cliffs.
Western Undercliff Beach is a quiet, mixed sand-and-rocky beach located next to the Port of Ramsgate. It features high chalk cliffs, a small tidal paddling pool, and local roadside parking.
Access to the lower promenade is via the Royal Harbour Approach Road.
Ramsgate Main Sands are an award winning sandy beach approximately 250 metres long with a pedestrian promenade (Marina Esplanade) running the length of the sand. The beach is situated east of the Royal Harbour and Marina.
The beach area offers something for everyone, has a real continental feel and is safe for swimming.
The Ramsgate Sea Garden is a reawakening of an earthworks and ecologically conscious garden created in 2007. It is a community project, established by the Ramsgate Sea Garden Group and local volunteers to transform a coastal wasteland into an idyllic area for quiet reflection, featuring plants that thrive in harsh, windy conditions and a restored “Spiral” sculpture. Volunteers typically meet there on Thursday mornings.
The Custom House is a striking, Grade II listed Victorian building located on Harbour Parade in Ramsgate. Built in 1893, it is distinguished by its deep red-brick and terracotta façade, ornate columned lantern, and copper dome. Originally serving as offices for Customs & Excise until the 1980s.
Today, the building houses the Ramsgate Visitors Information Centre, the RNLI gift shop, and the Wandering Hut Restaurant.
Spencer Square is a historic Regency and Georgian residential square. It is famous for its well-preserved period architecture, tranquil community-led gardens, sporting facilities, and deep historical connections to legendary cultural figures.
The Ramsgate (West Pier) Lighthouse is an iconic, Grade II listed building located at the end of the western harbour arm.
The area at the end of the pier features public bench seating, making it a peaceful spot to watch passing boats, admire the coastline, and take in panoramic views of the Ramsgate Royal Marina.
The historic Winterstoke Gardens are a cliff-top oasis overlooking the sea. Gifted to the town in 1920 by Dame Janet Stancomb-Wills, the Grade II-listed park features a Doric sun colonnade and extensive Pulhamite rock work. The gardens are an ideal stopping point on the clifftop walk leading from Ramsgate Royal Harbour to King George VI Memorial Park and on to Broadstairs.
The Sailors’ Church and Harbour Mission, close by the foot of Jacob’s Ladder was built in 1878.
The Sailor’s Church is open to the public and acts as a mini-maritime museum packed with historic photos, nautical memorabilia, and beautifully detailed scale models of old sailing ships.
Ramsgate features a series of famous historic and artistic cliffside stairways that connect the upper town and promenades directly to the Royal Harbour and seafront. They’re well worth climbing/descending and provide excellent photography backdrops. As do the two ‘Chines’ (landscaped, ornamental walkways that connect the clifftops to the beach and the under-cliff promenade).
The Madeira Walk Waterfall is a striking man-made artificial cascade built inside a dramatically engineered chalk gorge.
Perched immediately above the waterfall on the clifftop is Albion Place Gardens, a triangular public park and gardens offering panoramic views over Ramsgate’s Royal Harbour.
(CAFÉ | ITALIANATE GLASSHOUSE | PLAY AREA)
King George VI Memorial Park is a popular 18-acre clifftop green space. Situated high on the chalky cliffs between Ramsgate and Broadstairs, it offers panoramic coastal views, large open lawns, and woodland walking pathways.
The Ramsgate Arches represent a spectacular masterclass in Late-Victorian urban planning. Built to seamlessly connect the town’s Royal Harbour with the expanding West Cliff.
Though originally intended to be used as maritime warehouses, the Grade II-listed arches have transformed into a thriving, trendy cultural hub.
Ramsgate Royal Harbour is a stunning Grade II listed landmark. It is the only harbour in the United Kingdom that has the official right to call itself “Royal”.
The harbour area is a focal point for a number of activities throughout the year.
(APRIL – SEPTEMBER)
The Route 69 Thanet Open Top Bus (Thanet Open Topper) is a seasonal bus service, and a tourist attraction in its own right. Deploying several open top buses, it runs regularly from Ramsgate Boating Pool to Minnis Bay via Westbrook, Margate and Broadstairs.
‘Hugin’ is a reconstructed longship. It was a gift from the Danish government commemorating the 1500th anniversary of the arrival of Hengist and Horsa, leaders of the Anglo-Saxon invasion.
In Norse mythology, Hugin is one of a pair of ravens that fly around the world and bring information to the god Odin.
(TOURS | SE KITCHEN)
St George’s Church is a Grade l listed building, it is a hub for a number of community activities and events in Ramsgate. It is widely known for its unique Lantern Tower, which stands 136 feet high and historically served as a navigational aid for sailors in the English Channel.
Tower Tours and Crypt Tours.
(CAFÉ | BOOK SHOP | PLAY AREAS)
Ellington Park is a Victorian 12 acre park with over 400 trees and rolling Victorian landscape and was set out by landscape designer Cheal & Son in 1893.
Café serving hot & cold food. Lots of outdoor seating.
(CAMPUCCINO’S | SALTY SEAL CAFÉ)
The park acts as the entrance to a nature reserve and the rare flora and fauna here make this an area of national importance. This stretch of windswept coastline includes chalk cliffs, mud flats, saltmarsh and sand dunes, and is an important habitat for bird species.
(CAFÉ | BAR | GALLERY SPACE)
The boating pool was originally a bandstand with a tea pavilion, opened in August 1929.
Today, it’s a vibrant bar, café, and family hub serving up breakfast, craft burgers and wood-fired pizza alongside outdoor activities for all ages.
Occasional live music and art exhibitions in the bar.
Sam Battle, creator of ‘LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER’ opened this unique museum to showcase…interactive displays; musical, scientific and in some cases, experimental! It is an ideal place for kids (and adults!).
Open every weekend 1:00pm-4:00pm.
(BOOK SHOP)
Monkton Nature Reserve, managed by the Thanet Countryside Trust, is situated in an 16 acre abandoned chalk quarry on the Isle of Thanet in East Kent. There are over 350 species of flowering plant, including 8 species of orchid, and 25 species of butterfly have been recorded, along with innumerable other species of insect, mammal and bird-life.
Ramsgate’s No 1 Family Attraction. Boulevard Amusements features a range of entertainment from classic Space Invaders and Pacman to modern Mario Kart racing and basketball hoops. You can win tickets from various machines to exchange for prizes, ranging from sweets and keyrings to larger plush toys.
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