‘Fancy a short break?’ I said to Pork Belly, wanting to make the most of an unexpected burst of February sunshine. ‘I’m in’, he replied. ‘OK then, let’s head East!’
And that’s how we wound up spending 48 hours in Ramsgate on the North Kent coast, a place that’s long been popular with holidaymakers, artists and writers.
Charles Dickens loved Broadstairs, painter JW Turner came for what he called ‘the loveliest skies in Europe’, and Van Gogh drew sea views in Ramsgate during his brief spell as a tutor at the local boys school.
We were a little less creative, focusing on long walks, pub lunches and ice-cream.
Next time we’ll stay longer, but for now here are our top picks for a mini-break in Ramsgate if, like us, your time is short.
What to see and do in Ramsgate in just 48 hours
Enjoy the beautiful beaches
Whatever the season, the beaches here are wonderful.
Booted and bundled up, we strolled the tideline hunting seaglass and fossils, unsuccessfully as it turned out. Tiny wagtails kept us company while gulls soared overhead, with their mournful cries.
We found the Ramsgate gulls less human-focused than their cousins in Brighton. They pretty much left us alone, although if we’d had chips or doughnuts it might have been a different story!
In summer Ramsgate is a traditional British bucket-and-spade family destination, but in winter it’s left to walkers, nature-lovers and those who crave a little peace and quiet.
The February wind fair whipped around the headlands, but we found relief on the undercliff walk, in the old-fashioned shelters strategically placed along the prom and in the nooks and crannies of the seaside gardens.
One stroll took us almost to the inlet at Pegwell Bay, where you can find a replica Viking ship and a nature reserve. But we got sidetracked by the thought of lunch and Sir Stanley Gray did not disappoint.
A hearty steak and ale pie for Pork Belly and a very tasty vegan one for me. We couldn’t resist dessert (it was a long walk back!) so PB indulged in cheesecake while I had a winter-warming vegan sticky toffee pudding.
Pub food at its best.
Idle in Ramsgate’s Royal Harbour
The harbour is the town’s focal point – bustling by day and softly glowing at night.
Ferries to France no longer run, but it’s still a busy port with fishing boats, pleasure craft and a sensitively restored quayside packed with independent shops, restaurants and art galleries.
The ‘Royal’ name was given by King George IV. The eccentric and once popular Prince Regent suffered a bit of a backlash for his extravagant behaviour, but he found the people of Ramsgate were always courteous to him when he sailed off to visit his Hanover homeland. So he awarded Ramsgate the right to fly the Royal Standard three times a year – a ceremony that continues to this day.
The Sailors’ Church is a curiosity – plain but packed with all things nautical. It once provided peace and respite for the crews of the local fishing fleet, especially the young apprentices known as the Smack Boys, until a home was built for them next door.
A stiff climb up Jacob’s Ladder left me puffing a bit, but it was worth it for the view of the harbour and out to sea.
Explore Ramsgate Tunnels
This mass of interconnecting tunnels was created with one purpose in mind – to protect the townspeople from the devastating effects of war.
Our guide was excellent, painting a vivid picture of what it was like to hide, and even live, in the tunnels.
An old rail service once brought trains from London right on to the beach, but by the turn of the 20th century the line had closed. During the first World War, Ramsgate became the most bombed seaside town in Britain, suffering both air raids and shelling from the sea. Locals used the old railway tunnel as a shelter but casualties were still high.
When rumblings of another conflict began, the town’s Mayor, Arthur Kempe, commissioned engineers to find a safe way to extend the old rail route through the cliffs. Funding for the project was repeatedly refused and the flamboyant Kempe became known as the Mad Mayor for his idea.
Eventually, Kempe got his way and construction began in 1939. Just in time.
On 24 August 1940 Ramsgate was hit by 500 bombs, the world’s first recorded ‘blitz’. Because of the scheme, when the air raid sirens sounded no resident was more than five minutes away from an entrance and, as a result, only 31 people lost their lives. Thousands were saved.
Volunteers now run tours of the tunnels, collect memorabilia for a mini-museum and keep the story alive.
For opening hours and ticket prices see Ramsgate Tunnels website
Follow the Pugin trail
Architect Augustus Pugin is famous for designing the interior of the Palace of Westminster and the bell tower that houses Big Ben. Pugin loved Ramsgate and spent his last years working on a project to build The Grange for his family and an ornate church next door, dedicated to St Augustine.
After suffering a mental breakdown, Pugin returned to Ramsgate, and he’s buried in the church he designed, but never completed.
But his two sons carried on his architectural business, and you can hardly turn round in Ramsgate without spotting another Gothic-inspired Pugin building!
The Grange isn’t currently open to the public, but St Augustine’s church can be visited. For details see the National Pugin Centre website
Enjoy the ‘Jewel in Thanet’s crown’, Broadstairs
The Victorians were the first to succumb to its seaside charms – the Queen herself staying there many times as a young princess.
Dickens first visited Broadstairs in 1837 and kept on returning. He wrote David Copperfield there and based the character of Betsey Trotwood on the donkey lady who plied her trade on the golden sands in front of his holiday home.
A 45 minute walk along part of The Viking Coastal Trail brought us to that same beach. In winter, it has a faded air of gentility, with beautiful beach huts replacing the bathing machines of bygone days on the perfect-for-castles sand of Viking Bay.
Despite the cold, we couldn’t resist Morelli’s, serving gelato in a multitude of flavours, and some excellent dairy-free sorbets, in a happy, traditional ice-cream parlour atmosphere. Now a world-wide enterprise, the Broadstairs branch was the family’s first UK shop, opened in 1932 and still going strong.
Peep at parakeets in the park
There are so many little gardens and parks across the area, but don’t miss the George VI Memorial Park in Ramsgate.
Once the 22 acre estate of East Cliff Lodge, home of the financier Sir Moses Montefiore, all that remains is the Italianate Glass House (a tea room in high season) and some beautiful old trees.
Up in the branches of those trees we found, alongside the usual native birds, a flock of chattering, clattering, bright-green parakeets, probably descendents of pet birds who escaped captivity long ago, but now as much part of the neighbourhood as the woodpecker tap-tap-tapping away.
Some think they’re a bit of a pest, but their raucous cries and flashy plumage certainly brightened up our winter walk.
Where to next?
• Shifting sands – Reigate
• Brighton’s Royal Pavilion
• 8 reasons to visit Whitstable