Pegwell

Here we have a wonderful picture of this peaceful seaside resort; the distinctive large hotel on the left is still there. Otherwise, Pegwell Bay has seen some changes. In 1968 it became a hoverport with a cross-channel service. With the demise of the hovercraft service, a noisy go-kart circuit was established. The bay itself, an expanse of salt marsh and sand, has become the domain of ornithologists and bait diggers. The coastline of cliff, estuary, dune and marsh is now a nature reserve.
An extract from from"Villages of Kent Photographic Memories".

Situated at the southernmost end of the Isle of Thanet, the bay is bounded by cliffs on the north, and by marshes to the south. Tradition has it that this was the landing-place of both the Danes and of St Augustine. To the right of this charming view is the entrance to the Belle Vue Tea Gardens, patronized by the young Princess Victoria when she visited her mother in 1830.
An extract from from"English Villages".

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.
An extract from from"Ramsgate Old and New Photographic Memories".

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.
An extract from from"Ramsgate Old and New Photographic Memories".

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.
An extract from from"Ramsgate Old and New Photographic Memories".