What To See & Do in Ramsgate
Sights
Ramsgate offers an enticing mixture of maritime history, Continental style cosmopolitanism and traditional English seaside appeal. There’s a lot to see and do in and around the town.
East Kent Maritime Museum
(Clock House, Pier Yard): this museum covers the Maritime history of East Kent, and has displays on the development of the harbour, navigation, fishing, lifeboats and shipwrecks on the nearby Goodwin Sands.
The Ramsgate Museum
(Guildford Lawn): this museum has displays centred about various aspects of East Kent’s maritime heritage, and is the best place in town to get a feel for the social history of Ramsgate, reflecting its development from a fishing village to a popular 19th and 20th century port.
The Ramsgate Motor Museum
(Westcliff Hall): this museum has a private collection of cars and motorcycles dating from 1900. It covers the history of motor transport from the early bicycles and first cars of the late Victorian era to the late 1960s.
Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve
This nature reserve is home to a multitude of birds and other wildlife and is a wonderful area to take a bracing sea stroll.
St Augustine’s Cross
This cross marks the spot where St Augustine landed on these shores before setting off for Canterbury to re-establish Christianity. Previous attempts had proven unpopular amongst some sections of the population, until Augustine arrived and catalysed the conversion. The rest, as they say, is history.
Eating Out
Ramsgate is a cosmopolitan town yet, at the same time, quintessentially belonging to the classic English Edwardian seaside resort type. Therefore, there is a very wide choice of cuisines on offer, from English fish and chips to Thai Green Curry and Continental breakfasts – something for everybody.
Transport
Car: Ramsgate is situated on the eastern tip of Kent. From London, follow the M2 onto the A299 and A253. From the South, follow the A256 from Dover.
Train: Ramsgate is connected to London Charing Cross, London Victoria and London Cannon Street by South Eastern trains.
Public transport in Ramsgate is very good. The station is one mile from the town centre and coast, but ‘Thanet Loop’ buses operate from the station to Leopold Street and the Harbour every 10 minutes.
