Lady’s Lovely Guide to Things to Do in Ramsgate

I love taking day trips from London. There are so many places within a day’s journey from the UK capital that they could keep me busy for years. One of my favorite places for days out near London is Kent. This part of southeast England has everything from castles to coastline and cathedrals. Which is why I’m excited to be traveling to Kent today to explore all the lovely things to do in Ramsgate.

Ramsgate, Kent

Right on the coast, Ramsgate tends to get overlooked in favor of hipster Margate. But this seaside town is worth a visit in its own right.

Ramsgate has historic architecture, pretty streets, a sandy beach, and—thanks to George IV—the only royal harbor in the United Kingdom.

It’s easy to get here by car or train from the capital, and makes a great day trip to the seaside near London.

Things to Do in Ramsgate

That’s not least because there are so many things to do in Ramsgate. I arrive with a friend in the morning, both of us first timers in this coastal town and each excited to experience what this Kentish underdog has to offer.

The Waterfront

We start by exploring the waterfront, which is full of colorful restaurants and cafes.

Ramsgate’s waterfront not only has the aforementioned royal harbor, but also a sweeping beach, a lighthouse, and lots of shops tucked into arches along the marina.

There’s even a Clock House with its own meridian line and a network of subterranean tunnels from World War II where people sheltered during air raids.

We start at the harbor, taking in the sailboats and seafood vendors.

We walk over to Ramsgate’s obelisk, a monument erected in the early 19th century to commemorate the 1821 visit of George IV that resulted in the harbor gaining royal status.

Behind it are twin red phone boxes and the world’s largest Wetherspoon’s pub (it’s true!).

From the obelisk we make our way to the other side of the waterfront in Ramsgate. As we go, we pass by historic brick facades and colorful buildings overlooking the sea.

Soon we come to the arches, where vintage shops like Arch 16 catch our attention with their treasure troves of goods spilling out into the street.

We’re also lured into Archive Homestore and Kitchen, a design-led lifestyle shop with everything from specialty coffee to stationery on offer.

Not far away, we duck into the Sailors’ Church. This little gem with model ships on the walls was built in the late 19th century.

It provided spiritual and physical support for the crews of the sailing ships, called smacks, that fished out of Ramsgate harbor. It was also used to shelter and treat over 3,000 survivors of World War I.

Ramsgate Side Streets

Next to the church, we climb a staircase called Jacob’s Ladder to get to higher ground. It’s here that we start to discover that exploring the town’s side streets is one of the most rewarding things to do in Ramsgate.

We start on Paragon Street, where pretty houses fill the curving space. It leads us to Addington Street, where we find ourselves among colorful shops and restaurants.

We can’t help going into Paraphernalia, a vintage shop in Ramsgate with antiques filling two floors.

Near Addington Street, Liverpool Lawn has the most beautiful houses we’ve seen in Ramsgate. They’re picture perfect with their arched windows and colorful doors.

Ramsgate Restaurants

No day trip from London would be complete without lunch, and one of the best things to do in Ramsgate is enjoy local seafood.

We find it back by the waterfront at Little Ships. This restaurant is named for the variety of small boats that assembled in Ramsgate before crossing to Dunkirk to ferry men from the beaches to larger ships during Operation Dynamo in World War II.

The walls of the restaurant are lined with vintage photos from the 1940 rescue mission, giving the place a sense of atmosphere unique to Ramsgate.

We tuck into lunch at Little Ships, enjoying everything from prawns to mussels and classic fish and chips. The lemon posset and Victoria sponge cake go down a treat for dessert.

Pugin Architecture in Ramsgate

After lunch, we head over to see some of Ramsgate’s historic buildings.

Architect Augustus Pugin lived here in the 19th century. Best known for his design work on the Houses of Parliament in London, he brought his Gothic Revival outlook here and designed a number of important structures in town.

We visit St Augustine’s Church, which is one of the best things to do in Ramsgate for architecture and history lovers.

Pugin designed this place down to the fittings. It’s a beautiful work of architecture both inside and out, and Pugin and his family are buried in their family vault here.

From the churchyard we can see the outside of The Grange, Pugin’s family home. Its crenelated tower reminds me of a castle. Apparently Pugin would go to the roof of it to spot ships in distress with his telescope.

The High Street

We spend the rest of our day trip to Ramsgate exploring the high street. It’s not as picturesque as some of the other places we’ve seen, but we fall in love with shops like Potters Ramsgate.

This gem of a home store has everything from vases to pillows and rugs, and I want all of it for my flat in London.

By the time our day is over, we’ve uncovered a lot of the best things to do in Ramsgate. We head back to London feeling like we’ve gotten a great overview of what the town has to offer.

It may not have the big attractions of Margate, but there’s a lot of subtle charm for those who take the time to find it. And we’re glad we’re two of them.

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