Ramsgate’s history is brought to life with four tours with a dedicated band of volunteers.
The Ramsgate Costumed Walks group is run by enthusiastic volunteers who head the walks, whatever the weather, so long as members of the public turn up.
There is no charge for the walks although a donation of £2 towards the cost of costumes and printing of leaflets is suggested.
Guided tours take place in several areas across the town:
West Cliff Walk (Meet: West Cliff Lift) – This walk is of particular interest for its architecture, which includes The Grange & St. Augustine’s Church, designed by Augustus Pugin. His most famous work is the inside of the Palace of Westminster in London. You may be able to meet him personally.
Characters: Mary Townley, Wilkie Collins, Augustus Pugin, King George IV
Dates July 2 and July 23 at 7pm and August 6 at 2.30pm
Royal Harbour Walk (Meet: Maritime Museum at Pier Yard) – Ramsgate is proud to boast the only Royal Harbour in the British Isles, the honour having been bestowed by King George IV in 1821. You will see Smeaton’s famous dry dock, learn of the vast fishing industry carried on in Ramsgate in the 19th centuries & hear of the miraculous evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk in 1940.
Characters: Jane Austen, Thirza Whitmore, Elizabeth Fry, the Dippers
Dates: July 9 at 7pm and August 27 at 2.30pm
Town Centre Walk (Meet: Halifax Bank) – Guides will greet & take you through the centre of the town to see & enjoy the wide variety of buildings, ranging from Regency to the Twentieth Century. Your tour ends in the magnificent Parish Church of St. George.
Characters: Princess Victoria, Sir William Curtis, Mary Townley, Dame Janet Stancomb-Wills
Dates: July 16 at 7pm and August 20 at 2.30pm
East Cliff Walk (Meet: Albion Gardens) – On this walk you will pass many splendid Regency & Victorian buildings, including Wellington Crescent built immediately after the Napoleonic Wars during which Ramsgate had been a garrison town.
Characters: Princess Victoria, Baroness Lehzen, Frith, Dame Janet Stancomb-Wills, Ernest Shackleton
Dates: July 30 at 7pm and August 13 at 2.30pm
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