The Heritage Open Days festival this September will also be the launch date of a new scheme focused on the oldest area of Ramsgate.
The Ramsgate Historic Quarter Scheme highlights the area from the top of the High Street towards the Southeastern Road junction, running down past Paradise and the area of the Rose in England pub as well as spreading to sites such as Townley House in Chatham Street.
Paradise is believed to be Ramsgate’s oldest street. Its name probably originates from its position between a brewery on one side and a convent on the other.
The area developed in the 17th and 18th centuries and was occupied by the sea captains and merchants engaged at one of the country’s busiest ports.
As the oldest part of the town, the ‘Ramsgate Historic Quarter’ is home to some distinctive and impressive architecture, including Dutch gabled rows and grand sea captains’ mansions constructed of handmade bricks and recycled ships’ timbers.
In the days before steam power the Spread Eagle coaching inn – which stands empty and almost derelict on the High Street today – brought in the first tourists as well as travellers en route to the continent.
Features of that pre-industrial period include the locally produced building materials, such as bricks, clay tiles and lime. Flint was also a common practical and decorative feature.
The scheme aims to conserve the historic buildings, discourage speeding, littering and fly-tipping and create a community garden on derelict land at the entrance to the leisure centre where the house of 18th century seaman Captain Abbott once stood.
The Ramsgate Historic Quarter regeneration plans are the creation of writer, actor, musician and filmmaker Robert Milton Wallace.
Robert bought a property in Paradise in 2016 and, after a three-year spell in New York, returned to the town during lockdown.
Already Ramsgate has inspired him to write a book on the past, present and future of the area, The Sacred Isle which will debut as an audio book on Ramsgate Radio, and prompted him to earn a masters degree in Architectural Conservation at the University of Kent to better help him with the latest scheme.
Robert said: “I could see something really special about Ramsgate but also see its problems clearly. I thought I could be here to renovate properties, make money and move on, or I could try and make a contribution to the regeneration of the town that would profit everyone.
“I decided to do a master’s degree in architecture because I wanted to be taken seriously by the council and in order to raise money.”
Robert’s enthusiasm for heritage aspects such as the Dutch gable end properties, influenced by the Huguenots, local brick and flint and the characters who once lived in the historic quarter streets is matched by his desire to make improvements for today’s residents and create a safer, cleaner space.
He said: “There was a lot of demolition in the 60s, including half of Paradise when it was regarded as slums and not seen as of value to the town.
“Now heritage is recognised more as a valuable part of the economy for the town and also for a contribution to the quality of life for the people who live here and a sense of cultural identity. Realising how special it is, is one of the ambitions of the heritage quarter scheme.
“The ambition is to raise awareness of the value of the architecture, an original part of Ramsgate, to encourage people to look after their properties, offer advice, and help the community through discouraging speeding – ramping up the 20 is Plenty campaign in conjunction with Ramsgate Town Council – and discourage fly-tipping.
“We’ve commissioned a welcome sign by a local traditional sign writer, which will be on the building at the entrance to the Historic Quarter (coming out of Asda’s and into the High Street) and will be making Captain Abbott’s garden on the land at the edge of the leisure centre. This will have an information board with a QR code, which hopefully will be complete by this time next year.
“We will be using heritage flint on buildings and there will be a scheme to teach people that skill.”
Funding so far has come from a county councillor’s grant from Cllr Karen Constantine with hopes for further funding from the town council, Kent Community Foundation and via an application to the Asda foundation.
Robert has collaborated with artists from Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney in the 80s to The KLF in the 90s. His film ‘Tunnel of Love’ debuted at Cannes Film Festival (1997) and he has appeared as an actor in films including Tim Burton’s ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ (2016) and as the male lead in ‘Press’ (2019) on the London stage
He is using his creative skills to launch the scheme on Saturday 7 September as part of the Heritage Open Days (September 6-15).
Three historic homes in Paradise – numbers three, seven and nine – will open their doors to the public between noon and 4pm with costumed characters offering tours.
Visitors will be able to see historic architectural features such as an old ship’s mast – which is used as a beam to hold up the first floor of the three properties – wood panelled rooms, historic fireplaces and hidden cupboards.
From 5pm there will be music with Robert and his band, Men of Chalk, plus food and Gadds beer.
Find out more at: Ramsgate Historic Quarter Scheme.
