Ramsgate’s Royal Harbour

Ramsgate began as a fishing and farming hamlet. Its earliest reference is in the Kent Hundred Rolls of 1274-5 as ‘Ramisgate’ or ‘Remmesgate’ from Anglo-Saxon”Hræfn’s geat”, or “raven’s cliff gap”, later to be rendered ‘Ramesgate’ from 1357. The legendary mercenaries Hengest and Horsa landed in the 5th century to herald the pagan Anglo-Saxon age in England. The Christian missionary St. Augustine landed in Ramsgate in 597 which re-established the link between England and the Christian church in Rome.
In 1820 King George IV set off from Ramsgate with the Royal Squadron en route to Hanover. He was so impressed by the hospitality he received at the Kent port that he decreed it be declared a ”Royal Harbour” – a status that’s unique in mainland Britain.
Ramsgate largely developed in the form we know today from 1749 onwards. It was intended as a Harbour of Refuge, following a violent storm in 1748. Later, during the Napoleonic wars, British troops were quartered at Ramsgate before embarking for the continent. Climb up Madeira Walk to Ramsgate’s East Cliff to see Wellington Crescent, a reminder of this period.
Ramsgate’s harbour is a defining characteristic of the town. Ramsgate was a member of the Confederation of Cinque Ports, under the ‘Limb’ of Sandwich, Kent. The construction of Ramsgate Harbour began in 1749 and was completed in about 1850. The Harbour has the unique distinction of being the only Royal Harbour in the United Kingdom. Because of its proximity to mainland Europe, Ramsgate was a chief embarkation point both during the Napoleonic Wars and for the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.
In this picture can be seen in the inner harbour there all kinds of pleasure boats and a few houseboats. the outer harbour is the working space there are various craft for the 3 windfarms (not visible in the haze) and they are Kent Flats, London Array and Thanet Offshore, there are also 2 of the 3 pilot boats which take the pilots to large ships in the Thames estuary and guide them through the English Channel plus various small fishing vessels that operate out of Ramsgate. The fishery protection boat arrived back in harbour 10 mins after I took this picture.

HFF Everyone! An apology I straightened the horizon then uploaded the wrong version and I can't replace it!

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