The weekend before Easter I had the pleasure to be invited by @VisitEngland @VisitKent & @VisitThanet to spend Saturday in Ramsgate with a night at the Albion House Hotel. Although Ramsgate is only a short journey from London St Pancras (1 hour 20 minutes) by high speed train, I had never been.
The weather was grey and overcast as I left the capital with my fellow travellers from @igersuk but shortly after our arrival at the seaside the gloom lifted and we were treated to a beautiful sunny early Spring afternoon.
The beautiful curved beach
After a short walk from the train station through the town centre we arrived at the Royal Harbour (The U.K's only Royal Harbour I hasten to add ). First stop was the Royal Harbour Brasserie along the East Pier where we got great views back to the town and the West Pier lighthouse and met up with instagrammers from @igerskent.
After a lovely brunch of poached egg and avocado on toast (typical instagrammer / hipster fayre 😂 ) we had time to stroll leisurely along the beach and as we did so the skies cleared and the sun came out.
I love the contrast between the 1st and 2nd shots here where we see two brave (mad?) lads treating the March day as if it was midsummer, and the man and woman dressed in winter coats to stay warm. The dogs in the 3rd shot are, of course, totally oblivious to the water temperature with their minds intent only on fun !
After walking up the rainbow coloured Augusta stairs we went to the Grade ll listed Italiante Glasshouse and Tea Garden. This magnificent curved structure dates from the early 19th century. In my shots you can see an Agave Americana which has sent up a flower spike so high that some of the ornate glass panes had to be removed to permit its journey skywards and avoid breaking the glass
Grade ll listed Italianate Glasshouse and tea room
We then made our way to the beautiful Albion House Hotel with it's magnificent views over the Royal Harbour. Here we enjoyed a wonderful spread of tasty sandwiches and delicious cakes. Just what we needed after our walk. This was also to be my resting place for the night. I had a fabulous suite on the first floor with double aspect balconies. A delight.
Stylishly chic interior
A few photos from my evening stroll around the picturesque Royal Harbour after my friends had returned to London.
For me it was also a great place to find some lovely classic cars
A few photos of what I feel make up a trip to the quintessentially British seaside
I would like to thank Visit England, Visit Kent, Visit Thanet, Southeastern Railway, Albion House Hotel Ramsgate, IgersUK and IgersKent for the opportunity to escape London and spend a couple of days at the seaside in Ramsgate.
Here are some useful links
https://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk
https://albionhouseramsgate.co.uk