Ramsgate was a fishing village in Roman times. Hengst and Horsa, the Viking invaders, landed here in the fifth century and St Augustine followed a century later in 597 en route to Cantebury where he founded the Cathedral.
Ramsgate has also played a distinguished part in our military history – in the Napoleonic Wars soldiers embarked from here and in 1940 it was one of the main collecting points for the small boats going to Dunkirk. This history is recorded in the Maritime Museum in the Clock House on the Quay,
Royalty has acknowledged the charm of Ramsgate, George 1V giving it the unique distinction of Royal Harbour. Queen Victoria holidayed here as a young girl, when Sir Moses Montefiore, the great Victorian philanthropist and Ramsgate resident gave her a golden key to his private garden.
There is a rich architectural heritage with many beautiful Georgian and Victorian buildings Pugin lived and built here and Van Gogh taught in Spencer Square in 1876. Jane Austin mentions Ramsgate in Pride and Predjuice………
