See county from above

Rebuilding after the destruction left behind from the Second World War was the main focus in some towns, while others were earmarked for huge expansion.

THANET

Following the war, Thanet struggled to regain its reputation with the clientele that had frequented the large Victorian and Edwardian hotels of Cliftonville.

Butlins snapped up six of them in 1955 and marketed them as The Cliftonville Hotels.

The 60s saw Margate become a pilgrimage-like attraction for mods and rockers, with well-publicised fights on the beach.

The storm surge of 1953 left its mark. The Westbrook Pavilion, Marine Terrace Bathing Pavilion, the Lido and Margate’s jetty were all damaged.

The baths and cafes in the bays of Cliftonville were all completely destroyed.

Arlington House, the multi-storey apartment block which dominates the town’s skyline, was opened in 1963.

1967 spelled the end of The Hippodrome cinema, with it being demolished and replaced by the library and local authority offices.

RICHBOROUGH

Dominating the east Kent skyline for decades, the mammoth cooling towers of Richborough power station were constructed in 1958.

The station was coalfired when it opened in 1962, but was eventually converted to oil and then a controversial oil-water emulsion.

It went on to close in 1996, and the iconic towers and chimney were demolished in 2012.

SHEPPEY

Sheerness Naval Dockyard closed for the final time in 1960, in what was a major blow for the island as 2,500 workers lost their jobs.

A decision over the site’s future was revealed in parliament two years prior, with the news being described as “like a bomb going off in our house” by family members of those who worked there.

A closing ceremony took place in March 1960 and the Medway Port Authority took over the site for commercial use.

Over the years, scores of ships were built for the Royal Navy at Sheerness. In the early 20th century, the Admiralty decided to cease shipbuilding and instead refit torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers at the docks.

The 50s marked the start of construction for the replacement Kingsferry Bridge.

Principal contractor John Howard & Co started work in 1957, and the new link to the mainland was officially opened by the Duchess of Kent in April 1960.

Picture: Aero Pictorial Ltd The new Kingsferry Bridge, which cost £1.4 million, came into operation at the end of February 1960

The Margate Lido pictured in the 1950s. The tidal surge of 1953 damaged the venue

Sheerness docks as they were in 1964