Ramsgate, Thanet, Kent: Historic Area Assessment
Author(s): Geraint Franklin
Ramsgate is a historic town and seaside resort on the north east coast of Kent. In origin a fishing community in the parish of St Lawrence, it assumed greater importance on becoming a limb of the Cinque Port of Sandwich. The commencement of a ‘harbour of refuge’ in 1750 coincided with Ramsgate’s growing popularity as a sea bathing resort. Improvements in passenger boats and the arrival of the railway opened up the resort to an increasingly broad social spectrum of visitors, resulting in investment in bathing facilities, entertainment venues and civic infrastructure. Ramsgate attracted minority faith communities, represented by the Montefiore Synagogue and A. W. N. Pugin’s Roman Catholic church of St Augustine. This historic area assessment of the built-up area of the modern town was undertaken because of Ramsgate’s inclusion in the Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) initiative, a national programme providing support to selected places around the country overseen by Historic England. The report charts the historical development of the town and profiles the character and significance of its built heritage, providing an evidence base for sustainable regeneration. It is intended to assist stakeholders, the local community and others in showing how Ramsgate has assumed its present form, in identifying a range of building and landscape types and relating them to wider historical contexts.
- Report Number:
- 31/2022
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 286
- Keywords:
- Historic Area Assessment
