Tourism

Margate and Ramesgate are much kicked around as places, not renowned for their glamour or even charm but like so many places like this these days they have had lavish EU and government money bestowed up-on them and now it is, like so many places that are sporadically invested in, are a bit of a mish-mash of the really-quite-nice, and the still-left-in-the-dumps. And so it is with Ramsgate.
Ramsgate is of course a historic place of interest regardless of what cash got thrown at it. Starting life as a fishing village back in the 12th century, its harbour that was nearly a 100 years in the making (started in 1749 and finished 1850) and its ancient cliffs lining its edges giving it a dramatic sense of the natural, most towns are lined by ring roads, Ramsgtae gets a white cliff that's connected to Dover, so there's a quarter of a million years of history right there. And despite people's sneers we think if it was good enough for Vincent van Gogh its good enough for anyone. Though he did only live there only a short while in 1876.

So what's there? well its attraction from back then in Vincent's time is more or less the same as it is now, stunning cliff faces, sandy stretching beaches and clear clean blue waters. Its one of the best places in the country to stroll on a beach with an ice-cream or a beer, there's just something about looking out to a horizon and knowing that France and Belgium is just over that skyline that makes the experience so much more satisfying. The local commercial enterprises all seem to have realised that they are into a good thing as well. Gone are the naff run-down greasy spoon cafes full of truckers and now you have a succession of spruced up-restaurants, pubs and cafes, and shops. Even the fish and chip establishments make an effort to be regal and its makes all the difference.
The one drawback seems to be the volume of hefty seaweed on the beaches, its so voluminous you can hardly see the sand in places. Apart from this we include it here as a target for you the next time the weekend and sunshine meet. This may be a next spring but for sure Ramsgate will be even plusher by that time.