The Francis Frith Collection.
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Great Chart

Great Chart photos (11 available)

Old photo of Great Chart

Great Chart maps (2 available)

Old map of Great Chart

Great Chart books (12 available)

Great Chart memories

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You can also read memories of nearby places in Kent below.

Kent memories

The Old Fogge Family Residence in 1454

Ashford, Repton Manor House 2004

This is the old family house of Sir John Fogge, much of it has been rebuilt over the years and it is now in the hands of developers so we will watch to see it being restored and given a useful purpose in the community.
We are descended from this family, my mother was a Fogg. We are now in the process of reseaching the lives listed in the old 'Pedigree of the Fogge'
A memory of Ashford contributed by Joy Cousins

East Hill old cotts

Ashford, East Hill, old cottages 1903

I visited the nursery quite a lot, we knew the people who work there. I was only ten years old. I remembered the pub up the road, Duke of Marlborough. Where have the good memories gone, from Malcolm Read.

east hill

Ashford, East Hill, old cottages 1903

i can remember visiting this nursery on east hill. It belonged to my grandfather and I spent many happy days going around the plants with him, I remember him growing yellow tomatoes. His two elderly sisters lived in the cottage. Can anyone else remember this nursery it was demolished in the 60's and was made a car park.
A memory of Ashford contributed by anne wylie

High street

I can remember being taken shopping in the High Street, to Sainsbury's before it was a supermarket. There were tiled floors and walls, wooden counters with cheeses, cold meats and bacon, and the assistants wore their hair in nets or hats. There were seats for the elderly customers and nothing was ready-packaged.
A memory of Ashford contributed by Jacqueline Selcoe

Extracts From Great Chart & Kent books

Great Chart, Swinford Manor 1901

Situated two and a half miles from Ashford church, Swinford takes its name from a ford for swine. The manor house dates back to the 13th century, and formed part of a large estate. Its most famous resident was the poet Alfred Austin, who was Poet Laureate from 1896 to 1913. His most well known work is 'The Garden That I Love'. Critics, however, described him as 'snobbish and tasteless'.
An extract from from"Kent Revisited Photographic Memories".

Pegwell, High Street 1907

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".

Ramsgate, Spencer Square 1890

Work on building this elegant square started in 1802 after James Townley bought the ground. The buildings on the left were officers’ quarters during the Napoleonic Wars. The square was a large parade ground, and nearby Addington Street was a military camp. Frith’s photographer was standing outside No 6 Royal Road, where Vincent Van Gogh had stayed.
An extract from from"Ramsgate Old and New Photographic Memories".

Here we see three of eight classical-style statues holding lanterns which stood at the junction of the High Street and George Street outside Sangers Amphitheatre and Hotel between 1911 and 1913. Six statues were removed and erected outside the Hall by the sea in Margate; the other two remained until 1939. There was controversy surrounding these figures: in 1908, Alderman Gwyn called them ‘an eyesore and a disfigurement’. Lord George Sanger had seen the originals of the statues in Paris outside the Grand Opera House in 1883, and had eight replicas cast, paying £50 per figure for the transport and erection of these statues. Opposite is Lloyds Bank, which moved to new premises in 1928, renting the building to the NatWest Bank. The piano sign next door denotes Golden & Wind’s premises.
An extract from from"Ramsgate Old and New Photographic Memories".

Here we have a tranquil view at low water of the inner basin. On the extreme right is the Clock House. To its left in Smeaton’s dry dock is a sailing vessel being repaired. The fishing smacks in the foreground have RE numbers, denoting that they are registered in Ramsgate; later the E was dropped and only the letter R used.
An extract from from"Ramsgate Old and New Photographic Memories".