Secret sights and delights along Kent’s quirky coast GETAWAYS
OH, LUCKY me for having St Augustine’s Church in Ramsgate to myself, with its royalblue vaulted ceilings, exquisite stonework and stained glass.
This Grade I listed bijou place of worship was designed by Augustus Pugin, one of Britain’s greatest architects.
His work included the Gothic interiors of the Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower housing Big Ben – so you might expect a queue to visit.
Ramsgate, however, is not a town to shout about its prizes.
The Royal Harbour is another good example. This fine setting is the only harbour in the UK permitted to fly the Royal Standard three times a year (on January 29, July 19 and August 12) thanks to a decision made by King George IV in 1821. He granted the privilege after receiving a lovely send-off when departing by ship to Hanover.
Gentrification in Ramsgate is in gentle swing, with places such as Archive, a design shop/ cafe within the harbour arches, leading the way.
There’s also a glut of independent shops and galleries on Addington Street including the delightful artist Margo McDaid’s studio and the Laurent Delaye Gallery.
Meanwhile, a little outside the centre, the 200-plus stalls that make up Kent’s largest vintage marketplace – Petticoat Lane Emporium – are a firm favourite among antiques and quirky collectibles hunters (original 1950s condom poster, anyone?)
At low tide, I strike out for three miles from Main Sands to the neighbouring town of Broadstairs, along a beach scattered by seaweed-licked chalk stones. My lunch of salt and pepper squid is enjoyed on the terrace of Ramsgate’s Little Ships Restaurant, named for the armada of small vessels that set sail from the town in 1940 to help with the evacuation from Dunkirk.
From just about every viewpoint in town, Thanet Offshore Wind Farm is quite the compelling sight, lying four miles off the coast. For the thrill of zipping by speed boat beneath the 380ft-tall turbines, you can book a trip with GO2SEA (go2sea.co.uk).
‘You should go to see the posh greenhouse on the cliff,’ advises a local lady. I follow her directions to the clifftop King George VI Memorial Park. This ‘posh greenhouse’ is another hidden gem: a curved glasshouse built in the 19th Century.
Where to stay: Albion House Hotel is a Grade II listed Georgian mansion, where Queen Victoria (then princess) stayed to recuperate in 1835 after contracting typhus. Views are over the town to the Main Sands and Royal Harbour. B&B doubles cost from £200 (albionhouse ramsgate.co.uk).