Port of Ramsgate

The construction of Ramsgate Harbour began in 1749, and was completed in about 1850. The two most influential architects of the harbour were father and son John Shaw and John Shaw Jr, who designed the clock house, the obelisk, the lighthouse and the Jacob's Ladder steps. The harbour has the unique distinction of being the only harbour in the United Kingdom awarded the right to call itself a Royal Harbour. This was bestowed by King George IV after he was taken by the hospitality shown by the people of Ramsgate when he used the harbour to depart and return with the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1821. In 2024 the harbour was designated a Heritage Harbour. Because of its proximity to mainland Europe,…

Films including Gypo (2005), Ruby Blue (2008), Will (2011), The Flood (2019), Shiddat and Jagame Thandhiram (both 2021), and My Fault: London (2025) have used the port for filming. Television shows filmed at the port include: Eastenders, Big Bad World, Not Going Out, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, Liaison, and Say Nothing.