Ramsgate Royal Harbour has been a fascinating topic to me. I lived in Ramsgate for six years and while there became part of the bid team that won the heritage projects to conserve Ramsgate Harbour. It is the only Royal harbour in the country and with a Grade II* designation is among the 6% of the heritage environment listed for its ‘more than special interest.’
The eight other buildings within the harbour precincts that have their own listings contribute to the significance of the site that has provided a safe haven for commercial shipping, been the embarkation point for troops going to the Napoleonic wars, been awarded its Royal title by George IV as the harbour chosen for his Coronation tour of Hanover, protected the Channel and southern North Sea during WWI, provided the muster point for the Little Ships as part of Operation Dynamo in WWII, been the terminus for the first hovercraft services between France and the UK and inspired artists to paint the setting and environs of the harbour which attracted many tourists to the area.
The stories uncovered through research have shown the connections between the community and the harbour, the changes that it has undergone and the innovations that helped keep it up to date with technology and transportation throughout its lengthy history.
This was the catalyst for me to create a manuscript that explored the recurring themes and with my heritage hat on, I viewed the harbour through different lenses to understand how each aspect of the harbour – engineers, architecture, shipping, fishing industry, changes from sail to steam, anti-social behaviour, the Church, Naval and Admiralty control – contributed to the working harbour that we know today.
Placing this in context, particularly the impacts of its royal title have given insight into the way that Ramsgate evolved across this time and the pressures that were put on the harbour to exceed expectations.
I started 2026 by submitting the manuscript for publication. For more information about Ramsgate Royal Harbour visit my blog, Putting the Love In
A selection of excerpts and images from the book.