Ramsgate is a seaside town and civil parish in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England.

The town has one of the largest marinas on the English south coast, and the Port of Ramsgate provided cross-channel ferries for many years.

The Christian missionary St Augustine, sent by Pope Gregory the Great, landed near Ramsgate in AD 597.

Because of its proximity to mainland Europe, Ramsgate was a chief embarkation point both during the Napoleonic Wars and for the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.

The Official Illustrated Guide to South-Eastern and North and Mid-Kent Railways (June 1863) by George Measom from[word missing?]

describes Ramsgate thus: 'It is impossible to speak too favourably of this first-rate town, its glorious sands, its bathing, its hotels, libraries, churches, etc.

[11] In one of his letters[12][13] to his brother Theo, he described his surroundings: "There's a harbour full of all kinds of ships, closed in by stone jetties running into the sea on which one can walk.

During the First World War, Ramsgate and its harbour were the target of bombing raids by Zeppelin airships[14] and German Navy torpedo boats.

From 27 May 1940, Ramsgate harbour was the main assembly point for the build-up of small craft needed for Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk.

[18][19] Part of this project included a Historic Landscape Characterisation Study which assessed and mapped the patterns of historic character in the town, using geological and topographical surveys, and covering aspects from the Neolithic, medieval, Georgian, Victorian, and through to the First and Second World War periods.

Being close to the coast, and in Southern England, sunshine compares favourably with most of the United Kingdom, at over 1800 hours[28] a year.

Ramsgate is in the parliamentary constituency of East Thanet, which is represented by Labour MP Polly Billington.

The town is made up of seven electoral wards: Central Harbour, Cliffsend and Pegwell, Eastcliff, Nethercourt, Newington, Northwood, and Sir Moses Montefiore.

Following a successful campaign by local activist Gerry O'Donnell, a town council was established for Ramsgate in June 2009.

The town has a thriving marina with over 800 moorings and a range of marine-related businesses that operate in the renovated arches under Royal Parade.

[35] Ramsgate has a LETS scheme (RAMLETS) which was set up in 2014 enabling residents to trade goods and services using the virtual currency RAMs.

[41] The local council publishes a website specifically aimed at tourists visiting Ramsgate and neighbouring towns.

[citation needed] The town's main football club, Ramsgate FC, plays in the Isthmian League Division One South.

Thanet Wanderers is the island's only rugby team and has played at London Division 1 level, achieving its best result by defeating Doncaster at Twickenham in the final of the Intermediate Cup in 1997.

The club trains at Chatham House Grammar School and plays in Kent Disability Football League in three age bands: U-11, U-16, and 16+.

[53] The Gallery IOTA (Isle Of Thanet Arts) was based on the town's west cliff but is now on the harbour front.

The King's Theatre, near the town centre, offers shows, community events and a seniors' club every Monday.

[55] Free newspapers covering the town include the Thanet Extra, part of the KM Group; and yourthanet, belonging to KOS Media.

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC South East & ITV Meridian.

It was a gift from the Danish government in commemoration of the 1500th anniversary of the legendary arrival of conquering brothers Hengist and Horsa to England in the year 449.

Ramsgate is connected to the national road network primarily through the A299 Thanet Way, which continues on to the M2/A2 for the M25 (approx 1 hour) and London.

Bus services are provided by Stagecoach South East and also serve Broadstairs, Canterbury, Sandwich and Margate.

[62] In March 2015, it was announced that journey times between Ramsgate and London St Pancras are expected to be reduced to 63 minutes in 2019,[out of date] due to infrastructure enhancements.

Trains from Ramsgate are routed via Margate, Chatham and Bromley South, or via Canterbury West or Dover Priory and Ashford International.

Thanet Parkway railway station, opened on 31 July 2023, is situated near the village of Cliffsend just outside Ramsgate, and easily accessible by road off of the A299 (Hengist Way).