ramsgate to broadstairs walk

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Sea it allRamsgate to Broadstairs Walk

Coast, Cliffs & Café Culture

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If you enjoy the sea, you will love this coast hugging, cliff topping, café cruising circuit from Active Ramsgate. Like all the trails in the initiative, this route goes the extra mile to delight and surprise. From awe inspiring white cliffs to the breath taking views across Viking Bay, every step leads to something special you can enjoy.

“There’s nothing I like better than a weekend by the coast, walking, biking, relaxing.”

Nicholas CranePresenter of the BBC Coast series

Ramsgate to Broadstairs Walk


On the waterfront…There can be few more beautiful places to start a coastal walk than the 700 berth Royal Harbour Marina. Just 35 miles from the French coast and a skip and a hop away from attractions like the Sailor’s Church, Jacob’s Ladder in Military Road, the RNLI Lifeboat Station and the Royal Temple Yacht Club, almost everything you want to see is within easy reach.

Some of the cosmopolitan attractions lining the picturesque waterfront are also Active Ramsgate partners with a range of exclusive offers and discounts. Enjoy cafes like the unfailingly warm and stylish Miles Bar on the harbour front and the aptly named Nice

Things bijou gallery, craft and gift shop, inside The Custom House on the harbour side.

But don’t get too comfortable because there’s a lot to enjoy and see as you pick up the Thanet Coastal Path, pass the Royal Victoria Pavilion and Ramsgate Sands and (at high tide) head on to King George VI Memorial Park. Large, grassy, and much beloved by dogs and their walkers, this all season attraction (originally the site of Sir Moses Montefiore’s home, East Cliff Lodge), can give a sense of wonderful seclusion, despite being only a few minutes gentle amble from the harbour. On your right, the channel and (on a

good day!) a truly spectacular view of the French coastline. Depending on the tide, you can either follow the route up on to the cliff top or down on to the beach at Dumpton Gap where you will be rewarded with some stunning views - and a refreshing drink from a seasonal kiosk.

Enjoy the sense of achievement because in a few moments you will leave this remarkable seascape and round the bend into Louisa Bay, a beautiful sandy area famous for its rock pools and very different, but equally impressive, views of Broadstairs.


...And back againThe return leg of this gentle trail (assuming the British weather doesn’t misbehave and drive you back to Ramsgate in a bus!) begins at Viking Bay where you are free to savour the wonderful views and some equally delicious offers from some nearby hostelries and cafes.

When you are ready to walk off those treats, simply retrace your steps through the unfailingly pretty Victoria Gardens with its rustic arbour and pergola until you pick up the return route over Dumpton Gap, through King George VI Memorial, and it’s restored Italianate Greenhouse… and finally, back into Ramsgate.

Every stage of this walk has been designed to give you a true sense of the area’s very individual character. From the cliff top views and coastal wildlife to the vibrant café culture, there’s a great deal to experience and enjoy.


Eat, drink and support local business

Why make walking hard work when you can follow one of the new Active Ramsgate routes and enjoy every step? Themed to be fun as well as informative and supported by a wealth of local businesses, each walk has been carefully created to surprise and reward.

Take a look...Here are some of the cafés, bars and other attractions offering discounts and specials offers on this route - all offers are valid until 31 March 2014.

The Charles Dickens, Broadstairs1 free soft drink with any food ordered from the menu (Monday - Friday, 12 - 6pm)

Comfort Inn Salon10% discount on all treatments

Miles Bar2nd bottle of same value wine ½ price (Monday - Friday, 5 - 7 pm, except bank holidays)

Nice Things (in The Custom House)10% discount on all purchases over £30

The Oak Hotel1 free soft drink with any food ordered from the menu (Monday - Friday, 12 - 6pm)

The Old Custom Coffee House and CarveryChildren eat free with full paying adult. (Child under 8, weekends only)

The Pavilion, Broadstairs1 free soft drink with any food ordered from the menu (Monday - Friday, 12 - 6pm)

Pizza ExpressFor the latest offers visit www.pizzaexpress.com/offers

Go to www.ramsgatetown.org for more offers


The King George VI Memorial Park offers walkers a peaceful environment they can relax and unwind in.As well as boasting a huge range of trees and plants, including holm oaks, a fine beech tree, mulberries, ash, lime, sycamores and horse chestnuts, the park is home to one of the areas most ethereal landmarks - the Italianate Greenhouse. This Grade II listed building dates from the early nineteenth century and closely resembles the cutting edge greenhouse designs of Sir George Mackenzie of Edinburgh and also John Claudius Loudon (1783-1843).

So why is it called Italian? Sir Moses Montefiore, then the owner of East Cliff Lodge, planted a small formal garden outside the front entrance of the greenhouse, complete with an ornate fountain, which he had imported from Italy. The project was so successful that the whole area soon became known as ‘The Italian Garden’ with the ‘Italian Greenhouse’.

What’s an Italian Greenhouse doing in an English Park?


Viking Bay

Custom HouseThere’s more to

than meets the eye

You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that as well as being an excellent source of visitor information and local events, Ramsgate Custom House is also a great place to enjoy delicious food. Originally used by Customs

and Excise, this elegant building has its own coffee house and carvery - and a hidden courtyard garden where you can relax in the sunshine or shade. Alternatively, you can pull up a chair at the front of the building and watch

the world go by over a refreshing coffee house snack and drink. It is also home to Nice Things bijou gallery, craft and gift shop which sell mainly handmade items by local artisans, artists and craftspeople.

If Broadstairs is the “Jewel in Thanet’s crown”, then Viking Bay must be its rarest diamond. This magnificent horse shoe shaped stretch of 150 meter long sand filled beach is a rare treat that

really shouldn’t be missed. Surfers (who don’t mind the chilly sea temperatures), tourists and lucky locals all agree that this bay has to be seen to be fully appreciated.


Ramsgate to Broadstairs

At Dumpton Gap you can choose to walk along the beach or the cliff top path. Please be aware that at high tide you will need to follow the cliff top path. You can check tide times in advance.

Start as you mean to continue by setting an easy, relaxed pace and remember that this is a walk designed to be enjoyed, not rushed

1 As you leave the Ramsgate Harbour area and the eclectic mix of restaurants, cafés and pubs overlooking the inner yacht marina, you will pass the former Royal Victoria Pavilion and the old Harbour cliff lift and head towards the blue building which is the boulevard kiosk. A small fun fair, offering merry-go-round, swing-boats and other old style fair rides, is set out on the beach in front of the kiosk and there is ample outdoor seating.

Continue along the promenade and you will see the offshore wind-farm busily generating green electricity out on the horizon. Soon another blue building, with another kiosk (seasonal) and public conveniences (open April to September, daily) will come into view. Stay on the promenade but instead of following the road uphill, keep to the right, past a yellow and black metal vehicle barrier, and carry on along the sea wall.

2 A little further on and Ramsgate’s Sea Garden will come into view; a small garden inspired by the coastal environment that lies on the site of the old Marina swimming pool and boating lake. You might appreciate a small breather by now. There is an interpretation panel and a bench you can use to enjoy the view out across the sandy beach and the sea.

The sea wall runs directly along the foot of white chalk cliffs at this point and approximately 200 metres further on you will reach a switch-back path up to the cliff-top. At high tide, follow this route to continue the walk to Broadstairs. You can return to the beach or sea wall at Dumpton Gap. When the tide is low, you can continue along the sea wall, for another 450 metres, before reaching a ramp that leads you down onto the sandy beach. This section of the walk offers you some truly stunning views of the channel, with the imposing white cliffs on your left and the multitude of chalk rocks, worn smooth by the daily tides, strewn at the cliff’s base. But remember that there is no sea-wall to escape to if you get caught out by the rising tide, so plan ahead.

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© Crown Copyright and database right 2013. Ordnance Survey 100019238

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Walk Overview:Location: Harbour Parade, Ramsgate, CT11 8LN and Harbour Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1EU

Distance: 5 miles (8km) circular - allow 2.5 hours for the circular and 1.5 hours one way

Terrain: Mainly surfaced paths with some beach walking. Steps allow access to higher path at high tide. Some moderate slopes

Facilities: Shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs in Ramsgate and Broadstairs. There are also public toilets and seasonal kiosks along the route

Transport: Traveline 0871 200 22 33www.traveline.info

www.tidetimes.org.uk/ramsgate-tide-times


3 After approximately 630 metres, another ramp will lead you off the beach; up past a row of brightly coloured wooden beach huts and back on to the sea-wall at Dumpton Gap, where a seasonal kiosk serves refreshing hot and cold drinks, snacks and ice creams. Public toilets (including baby-change facilities) are also available here.

Follow the sea wall’s final bend into Louisa Bay and you will be rewarded with some fantastic views of Broadstairs and a chance to walk along the beach at low tide from Dumpton Gap.

4 Thanks to a series of steps that lead from the beach up to the sea-wall, you can quickly retreat to safety if the tide catches you by surprise. At the Louisa Bay cafe (seasonal) a ramp will lead you uphill, under the footbridge and onto a set of steps to the cliff top. Turn left at the top of the steps and you will enter Victoria Gardens, a circular park with a path you can follow in either direction towards the bandstand. There are toilets and baby change facilities here if you need them.

From here you can join the promenade, where there are more interpretation panels and benches you can use to rest and take in the

view across Viking Bay. If you’ve worked up an appetite, you can also stop off for a bite at the Charles Dickens pub, Royal Albion Hotel, Prezzo or Chiappini’s (amongst others).

5 Follow the path as it slopes down to the junction with Harbour Street, turn right and continue, downhill, past Wyatt and Jones, the Sun Terrace, Pavilion Gardens and the Tartar Frigate Public house. (There are more public toilets available here). When you reach The Boathouse, turn right onto the pier, find a bench or grab a well-deserved drink and snack from the kiosk at the end (seasonal).

6 Now you can retrace your steps back through Victoria Gardens to the steps by the footbridge but instead of taking the steps down to the sea wall, continue across the bridge and follow the path along the top of the cliff. There are a number of additional benches available here that you can use to enjoy the space and tranquillity of the wide grassed “Leas” area between you and the Western Esplanade. There are also two interpretation panels at South Cliff and panoramic views, over Dumpton Gap, back towards Ramsgate Harbour.

7 Continue straight on or return to walk along the beach to Ramsgate - if the tide is favourable (low tide only). At high tide take the cliff-top section of the ‘paved’ path that finishes shortly after Dumpton Gap and continue on short grass for approximately 450 metres. Just follow the Leas and head towards the converted lighthouse in the distance.

8 You are nearly there, so enjoy these final sights as the trail leads you back to a surfaced path (also the Viking Coastal Trail) beside the lighthouse, where you can continue on through the King George VI Memorial Park. You’ll find an excellent children’s playground, a café and some toilets near the exit at the far end of the park. Be sure to take a short detour into the park to view the Italianate Greenhouse.

9 Now turn left out of the park gates, follow the path along the top of the East Cliff, pass the top of the switch-back path and head towards the Granville Theatre. Look out for some attractive ‘Victorian style’ shelters dotted along the East Cliff on the way. The top entrance to the Harbour cliff lift is now on your left with the path running adjacent to Madeira Walk as it begins its gentle descent to the harbour.

10 You know you are on track when you see the

Albion Park gardens on the opposite side of the road. A few moments more and you have arrived at the bottom of the hill and back at the Ramsgate Harbour/ Yacht Marina.

Welcome home

“Kent’s coast line is one of the finest in Britain. It blends great scenery and history with some fantastic family activities, alongside great sailing waters.”

Sam BreareyNational, European and World

Sailing Champion


The Old Custom House Coffee Shop & Carvery Harbour Parade, RamsgateCT11 8LP 01843 598755 www.customcoffeehouse.co.uk

Pelosi’s Ice Cream Parlour 76 Harbour Parade, RamsgateCT11 8LP 01843 570 585

Peter’s Fish Factory 96 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LP 01843 853272

Pizza Express 52 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LW 01843 592186

Rokka (Eat, Drink and Party) 64 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LN 01843 599999 www.rokka.com

Roma (Coffee House) Oak Hotel, 66 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LP 01843 583686 www.oakhotel.co.uk

100% Thai Restaurant 8-10 Albion Hill, RamsgateCT11 8HG 01843 588380

Topps Edwardian Kiosk (seasonal)Harbour Parade, RamsgateCT11 8LP 07879 051943

Vista (Bar, Restaurant and Café) 60 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LN 01843 588115

Accommodation

Comfort Inn Victoria Parade, RamsgateCT11 8DT 01843 592345 www.comfortinnramsgate.co.uk

The Oak Hotel 66 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LP 01843 583686 www.oakhotel.co.uk

Visitor Attractions

Bleak HouseFort Road, Broadstairs CT10 1EY01843 865338

Dickens House Museum2 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs CT10 1QS01843 861232

Nice ThingsThe Custom House, Harbour Parade, RamsgateCT11 8LP www.nice-things.co.uk

Port of Ramsgate & Ramsgate Royal Harbour Marina Military Road, Ramsgate CT11 9LQ

Ramsgate Maritime Museum (seasonal opening) The Clock House, Pier Yard, Royal Harbour, Ramsgate CT11 8LS 01843 570622

Thanet Coast ProjectMarine and bird life educational events and activities01843 577672 or 01843 577409www.thanetcoast.org.uk

Public Houses

The Charles Dickens Pub/ Copperfields Restaurant 5-6 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs CT10 1QS01843 603040www.charlesdickensbroadstairs.co.uk

The Jazz Room 88 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LP 01843 595459

The Oak (Freehouse) 66 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LP 01843 583686 www.oakhotel.co.uk

The PavillionHarbour Street, BroadstairsCT10 1LU 01843 600999

Port & Anchor (Freehouse)2-4 Albion Hill, RamsgateCT11 8HG 01843 850493

The Queens Head78 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LP 01843 853888 www.queenshead-ramsgate.co.uk

Restaurants and Cafés

The Alexandra Ristorante 70 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LP 01843 590595 www.alexandraristorante.co.uk

Atlantis Seafood Bar & Restaurant Oak Hotel, 66 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LP 01843 583686 www.oakhotel.co.uk

Belgium Café (Bar & Food) 98 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LP 01843 587925 www.belgiancafe.co.uk

Harbour Fish Bar 39 Harbour Street, Ramsgate CT11 8HA 01843 570010

Miles (Café, Bistro & Bar) 56 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate CT11 8LN01843 585008 www.milesbarramsgate.com

Active Ramsgate is an initiative carefully prepared to help everybody, locals and visitors, fully discover and enjoy Ramsgate and the surrounding area. It is also an initiative

supported by, and aiming to benefit, a growing number of local cafés, bars, restaurants and businesses. Call in along the way and ask about any Active Ramsgate special offers they

might have and you could walk out with a great deal more than you bargained for. Also visit the Special Offers section of the Active Ramsgate web pages.www.ramsagtetown.org

Look how much more Active Ramsgate has to offer...

This document is available in alternative formats and can be explained in a range of languages. Tel: 0300 333 5540

For more information about Ramsgate and all the local area has to offer, you can pop into the Visitor Information Centres where the local staff will be happy to help.

Ramsgate Visitor Information Centre The Custom House, Harbour ParadeRamsgate CT11 8LP 01843 598750Open 10am - 4pm

Thanet Visitor Information CentreFor more things to do and places to stay in Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate.Droit House, Stone PierMargate CT9 1JD01843 577577www.visitthanet.co.ukOpen 10am - 5pm

Broadstairs Information KioskVictoria Parade, BroadstairsOpen 10am - 4pm seasonally

For more things to do and places to stay in Kent, the Garden of England, go to www.visitkent.co.uk

For more walks in Kent use the excellent Explore Kent website www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent

Download the Explore Kent App from the App store and follow this walk on your smartphone.

Funded by Ramsgate Town Council

Kent GreetersWant a bit of individual attention? Kent Greeters are a band of helpful and passionate volunteers that are ready and waiting to share the local area they know and love so well. As well as taking you on a short 2 - 4 hour personalised walk, greeters will introduce you to the local highlights, hidden gems and everything else that makes up their day-to-day world. The service is created to be as helpful and fun as possible, totally free and available to groups of up to six people.

Visit their website for more details: www.kentgreeters.co.uk

www.ramsgatetown.org

ramsgate to broadstairs walk

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