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Books > Ramsgate Old and New Photographic Memories
Dumpton Gap, 1894 (ref. 34194) | Dumpton lies within the
urban boundaries of St Peter's
and Broadstairs; its earlier
name, 'Dodemayton', has long
been forgotten, as has the
hermit Pettit, who lived in a
cave at Dumpton. He
masqueraded as a religious
man, but was found drunk
in Ramsgate and duly
disappeared. In 1914, a
continental telephone cable
to Ostend was installed,
which came ashore
at Dumpton.
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Minster-In-Thanet, the Corner House Cafe c1960 (ref. M86050) | The aptly-named Corner House Café was a confectioner's in 1948. Later, in 1960, a café was added to the business. It became
the meeting place for most Minster teenagers, serving only coffee and sweets. It stood on the corner of Station Road and
St Mildred's Road, known by older villagers as Vicarage Lane.
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Minster-In-Thanet, High Street c1955 (ref. M86013) | This view shows R E Attwell's to the right, which was the village newsagent's and tobacconist's; the proprietor was Chairman
of Minster Parish Council. Two doors away at 55 High Street, previously known as Victoria Villas, was T H Webb the grocer's,
which used these premises from 1928 until 1970.
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Minster-In-Thanet, Buttsfield Estate c1955 (ref. M86002) | Every village throughout England in the 1950s found an increase in population, and council estates were built on the green
countryside. Minster was no exception, as we can see in this photograph. This estate was built after 1951; it was formerly
the site of a mixed orchard, whose produce was sold through a greengrocer in Minster High Street.
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Minster-In-Thanet, the Square c1960 (ref. M86035) | This view was taken at the
top of the High Street. In the
centre is the New Inn public
house and tea gardens,
formerly owned by Cobbs'
Brewery. In 1910 the owner,
Mr J Easton, reared a duck
which laid an egg weighing
8 ounces and measuring 10½
inches by 9 inches! To the left
is the Monkton Road, and on
the right is Tothill Street.
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Minster-In-Thanet, St Mary's Church, the Interior 1894 (ref. 34205) | Minster was once the ancient capital of Thanet. It was a small quiet village, and used to govern the hamlets of St Laurence,
St Peter and St John. Because the church was one of the most important buildings in the community, the nave may have
served as a storehouse, a courthouse and even as a place of refuge in earlier times.
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Minster-In-Thanet, the Abbey c1955 (ref. M86031) | The abbey, the oldest
building in Minster, is to be
found at the lower end of the
village. Before 1937, it had
been called Minster Court;
it was one of the oldest
occupied buildings in the
country, at one time owned
by the Swynford family. The
abbey is now a working
farm, still run by the
Benedictine nuns.
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Minster-In-Thanet, Abbey 1894 (ref. 34200) | The abbey stands on the site of a Saxon nunnery set up by Domneva, and run by St Augustine's
monks from Canterbury; it was destroyed in the ninth century by the invading Danes. Rebuilding
started in the 11th century. The year 1538 saw the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry
VIII, and the land reverted to the Crown. Later, ownership of the grounds went to the Conyngham
family and various tenant farmers until 1937, when a community of German Benedictine nuns
bought the monastery and 10 acres of land.
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Pegwell, Bay 1907 (ref. 58304) | This Edwardian view shows the footpath to Pegwell village; on the extreme left are the coastguard
cottages, built to prevent the extensive smuggling activities that were then carried out at this
isolated location. Throughout the 1820s many people here watched regattas under the patronage of
Earl Darnley and Mr Warre, when purses of gold sovereigns were given as prizes to the participants
in yacht races.
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Pegwell, the Convalescent Home 1907 (ref. 58301) | This is a closer view of the
Conyngham Restaurant with
its extensive well laid-out
grounds, which include
swings and other children's
facilities. Behind is the tall
tower of the Working Men's
Club and Institute Union
Convalescent Home, once
the Clifton Hotel; the tower
and the new wing were
added in 1897. On the
extreme right are the stumps
of an earlier pier, built by
Daniel Curling in 1784.
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Pegwell, Bay 1907 (ref. 58300) | Pegwell village overlooks a
large bay, which has in the
past been named Hope Bay,
Greystone Bay, and
Courtstairs Bay, and today is
simply known as Pegwell
Bay. The wooden steps give
access to the ground below
and also serve as a lookout
tower for the coastguard
station, and pictured below
is a coastguard cutter on
davits ready for any
emergencies. The gardens
beyond belonged to the
Conyngham Hotel.
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Pegwell, Sea Front 1907 (ref. 58299) | Here we have a closer
view of the wall and walk
built from the cliff
opposite, encompassing
the ground later laid out
as gardens, and earlier as
a swimming pool, by the
Pegwell Bay Reclamation
Co. The gardens were
known as Ravens Cliff
Gardens. Also built on
this reclaimed land was
the Conyngham Hotel;
access to it was gained
via steps from the bay.
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Pegwell, High Street 1907 (ref. 58297) | On the right is the old Belle Vue Tavern
dating back to the 1760s, which was an
earlier haunt for smugglers. In 1831,
the landlord Mr John Cramp received
a visit from the Duchess of Kent and
her daughter Princess Victoria; they
dined on potted shrimp paste. Later,
Mr Cramp received the Royal
Appointment of Purveyor of Essence
of Shrimps in Ordinary to Her Majesty
the Queen. On the left are the Floral
Tea Gardens followed by the Pear Tree
Inn, later Samuel Banger's potted
shrimp paste factory. His small paste
pots had highly decorated lids
depicting scenes of Pegwell; today
they are valuable antiques.
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Ramsgate, Ellington Park Fountain 1907 (ref. 58282) | Ellington grounds were bought by Ramsgate Corporation in 1892 for £12,000, and were laid out by Cheal & Son. It opened
on 7 September 1893 as Ellington Park, and this beautiful ornamental fountain was installed in 1895 as a gift from a former
Burgess of Ramsgate, Mrs Barber, in memory of her son. It has been demolished, sad to say, and today is only a memory for
older residents.
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Ramsgate, Postcard Design c1960 (ref. R7072) | This postcard typifies Ramsgate at the height of its holiday
seaside popularity, when it challenged the renown of
Blackpool with its lights and entertainment. Ramsgate at
this time was very much the British holidaymakers 'cup of
tea' before the advent of foreign travel.
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Ramsgate, Beach and East Cliff c1920 (ref. 68465) | Beyond the marina
and Marina Road was
Golden Sands. Here in
1913/14 Ramsgate
Corporation added
steps to the sands and
built Ramsgate
Bathing Station. It was
more popular with the
locals, because it was
away from the main
beach. The prominent
building on the cliff
was part of
Victoria Gardens.
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Ramsgate, view from East Cliff c1920 (ref. 68464) | To the right stand the
Granville and San Clu
Hotels (nearest to the
camera). After acquiring
the Granville, Edward
Davies realised that the
only access to the sands
was by Augusta Steps.
With the aid of the
architect T J Winperis, in
under a year he had built
the Marina and Marina
Road, which opened on
5 July 1877. Against the
cliff-face to the right
stands Ramsgate's first
lift, which opened on
5 August 1908.
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Ramsgate, St Cloud Hotel 1901 (ref. 48040) | Built between 1881 and 1882, these eight large houses were known as Granville Terrace.
In 1897, a Mr Robert Stacey bought the first five houses and converted them into the Hotel
Saint Cloud. Mr Stacey sold the hotel in 1919, and Mr J W Aptommas renamed it San Clu.
On Thursday 25 October 1928, a disastrous fire demolished three buildings, and what
remained became the San Clu Hotel. Today, it is the Comfort Inn.
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Ramsgate, Granville Hotel, Victoria Parade 1901 (ref. 48039) | This was originally a terrace of
very large houses built by Edward
Welby Pugin. They failed to sell,
and the terrace was converted to
a hotel in 1869. In 1873, Pugin
was bankrupted. Edmund Davis,
who lived in Sowell Street,
St Peter's, bought the building; he
added a concert hall and baths
and landscaped Victoria Gardens.
It was used as a Canadian
hospital in the First World War,
and during the Second World
War, in November 1940, it was
bombed, and has never
recovered its former 'sparkle'.
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Ramsgate, People c1920 (ref. 68463x) | This is a typical 1920s British holiday scene. Both children clasp the toy of the era, a wooden hoop. Both gentlemen wear
suits and bow ties, and everyone wears a hat. The four iron bollards replaced the earlier turnstile which charged a small
entry fee to the gardens.
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