Exploring the seaside town of Ramsgate on the Isle of Thanet in Kent
In these dark days of midwinter and Tier 4 Covid restrictions, it’s comforting to look back at this summer walk around Ramsgate with my wife and my sister.
The walk starts in Ellington Road where we talk about the tunnels that run beneath the streets from Ellington Park to the seafront. From here we pass through Vale Square, past Vinyl Head records to Addington Street with the Falstaff Hotel where Wellington plotted tactics during the Napoleonic Wars, and the Queen Charlotte pub. We visit the studio of the artist Bob and Roberta Smith who shows us his paintings of Thamesmead in South East London that he’s currently working on. We also look at Bob’s new book, You Are An Artist, which I took the photographs for.
From Bob’s studio we walk along Paragon Street to Royal Crescent and look at the statue of Vincent Van Gogh in Spencer Square and the house where Van Gogh lived in 1878. We also see the school where Van Gogh taught, at 6 Royal Road, Ramsgate. We descend the steep set of steps known as Jacob’s Ladder to Ramsgate Sailors Church at Ramsgate Royal Harbour. Then we walk around the Royal Harbour to the Harbour Arm.
From the Harbour we pass the Royal Victoria Pavillion pub we walk up Kent Place and look at the tiles inspired by Pugin, designed by local school children. We follow Wellington Crescent to the Plains of Waterloo where Karl Marx stayed in 1879, before heading to Artillery Road where Marx’s daughter, Jenny Marx lived. Continuing along King Street, was pass the Ravensgate Arms, one of the finest pubs in Ramsgate. We then turn into Ramsgate High Street where the walk ends.
Cathy Rogers, film-maker http://cargocollective.com/cathyrogers
Fascinating walk John, full of interesting people, places and information as always Thanks so much. Lovely, too, to ‘meet’ your Australian wife and your sister. Really enjoyed your wife’s mention of Balmoral Beach in Sydney. It was a favourite beach of my parents who used to take my brother and I their often when we were children. Always enjoy Bob and Roberta Smith too – what an interesting bloke he is. Tier 4 lockdown sounds terrible. Keep safe and thanks again.
Thanks John – glad you enjoyed the Sydney mentions. I’ve been meaning to make a film from my old video footage shot in Bondi and Blueys Beach in the mid-90’s. Must do that in 2021
Would love to see that, John. I hope you get around to it some time.