Shrine of Our Lady, Bradstowe

[2] The original building contained the famous shrine of "Our Ladye of Bradstowe", a painted wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.

The tradition maintained by the Royal Navy of "showing the flag" at seaside towns to uphold the morale of the Navy is said to have its origins in a service held at the Bradstowe Chapel in 1514 with the crew of the Henry Grace a Dieu in attendance, whilst the largest and latest addition to the King's Fleet was moored nearby.

[4] Up until about 1514, when Trinity House took over such duties, it was traditional for coastal towns and village's to display some kind of beacon on the high points of their coastline as a warning against the locally known potential hazards to shipping.

[3] The Shrine of the Culmer Chapel, a statue derived from the figure of the Virgin Mary, mounted on a tall column, was so positioned that it faced seaward.

This effect was considered by religious mariners to be a bad omen as a storm would often follow, atmospheric changes indicated in the Chapel were thus a good rough guide to those who would face the perils of the sea.

The shrine gives its name to the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea which is inland at 17 Broadstairs Road in St Peter's.