And there are good transport links to Broadstairs two miles , Margate five miles and Canterbury 17 miles. The nearest international airport is Gatwick. Like the rest of Kent, Ramsgate offers a selective grammar school system with Chatham and Clarendon Grammar school rated by Ofsted as Good being the better of two local secondaries the other is Royal Harbour Academy.
St Lawrence College is a leading co-ed, day and boarding school with sprawling, ivy-clad grounds in the centre of Ramsgate. On the plus side, there are butchers and bakers — and a Waitrose. Gorgeous beds, Carrera marble bathrooms and fabulous views of the Royal Harbour, make up for smallish rooms. The Shell Grotto is a subterranean passageway 21 metres long adorned with 4. One of the most intriguing things about it, since its discovery in , is nobody knows who put it there and why.
Let your imagination wonder about its mysterious history! Find local delicacies such as rock oysters and Rye Bay scallops on its menu, as well as tagliatelle with sea urchin, all washed down with a glass of wine from its range of natural and organic wines. One of the most significant reinventions in Margate over the last few years is Dreamland amusement park, based on the idea of a traditional British seaside fair. Dreamland is a fun way to spend the afternoon whatever your age, while the evenings here are packed with live music and DJ sets for over 18s.
Where the architecture of the man who designed the interiors of the Houses of Parliament can be seen? Or where an Academy Award-nominated actor still calls home? It's sometimes hard to work out quite why Ramsgate doesn't outshine its Thanet neighbours or, for that matter, give Whitstable a run for its tourism money. According to the Property Market Index, which tracks UK house-buying trends, the town was named its number one seaside town for London buyers seeking a move to the coast.
And if Whitstable's transformation over the year demonstrates, with the Down from London brigade comes plenty of disposable income and a revitalised local economy. Amanda Collison from the Property Market Index explains: "Ramsgate's royal links, maritime history, architecture, stunning harbour, Thanet's Blue Flag international award-winning sandy beaches, high performing grammar schools and high demand for living by the sea have all lead to why this seaside town is quickly becoming the latest popular coastal location with relocators from London.
Which may well send a shiver down the spine of many living there - keen not to see their town become the latest where all the best properties are snapped up by wealthy city folk, pricing them out of the market in the process. Because when people come down and see Ramsgate they think it's breathtaking.
The Royal Harbour and the vista along the front is magnificent. We employ seasonally upwards of people and it just shows you the top end jobs just don't exist. It is an area with its challenges because of its lack of jobs. And that, in a nutshell, is what has held back Thanet for years now - and Ramsgate in particular.
Over the last few decades it has seen its once-popular cross-Channel port close, Pfizer move most of its workforce out of its site in nearby Sandwich now known as Discovery Park , seen Saga recently sell-off its call centre - on the cusp of Broadstairs and Ramsgate - while Manston Airport, even its hey-day as a commercial operation, only ever really limped along rather than soared through the skies. Its future remains very much where the freight aircraft it hopes to service currently are - up in the air.
Add to that, Ramsgate's town centre has been deflated for years by the changing way we shop and the migration of many of the biggest brands to the out-of-town Westwood Cross.
Margate and Broadstairs - while both experiencing the same dilemma - have found their niche. Broadstairs is Whitstable-like in its compact blend of winding streets, independent shops, restaurants and cafes. Margate, the archetypal English seaside resort which once boomed, has traded heavily on its tourist history and reputation, pulling in millions of pounds of regeneration money.
Most notably, it used the Turner Contemporary as its much-discussed catalyst for regeneration while the revival of Dreamland has traded heavily on its 'vintage' appeal.
In short, both neighbours have embraced the tourist pound and, while Margate still has plenty of challenges, it is a far cry from where it was 20 years ago. The three towns and surrounding villages are conveniently close, and these days only 75 minutes from central London. Cycle or hike between them on the Viking Coastal Trail , along a stunning shoreline and through tranquil lanes. For inspiration of ways to spend a break in Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate click here Discover more at www.
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