KENTSTAYCATION
RAMSGATE HARBOUR
© @ thanet _ photos © Ludomil Sawicki / Unsplash
SET SAIL ...
STEP ABOARD AND CONQUER THE BALMY WATERS OF KENT – THERE ’ S NO BETTER WAY TO WITNESS KENT ’ S DIVERSE LANDSCAPE AND DIVE DEEP INTO THE COUNTY ’ S ENTHRALLING HISTORY THIS SUMMER .
With four major rivers that drain the Kentish land , meandering through our towns and countryside until they meet our spectacular stretch of coastline , there ’ s no wonder that boating has always been big in Kent . From the earliest explorers that came by boat across unpredictable oceans , to modern-day water sports enthusiasts eager to get their adrenaline pumping , there ’ s always been – and always will be – a thirst for activities on the water in this county . The first time Julius Caesar stepped foot on British soil is said to be at Kent ’ s most easterly point : Pegwell Bay , from which the Romans launched their invasion of Britain ; a momentous time in history that shaped our future forever .
Hundreds of years later , the Vikings pillaged and plumaged Kent ’ s towns , making their way from Scandinavia in ships that looked almost exactly like the ‘ Viking Ship ’ Hugin . Permanently on display on the Pegwell Bay cliff top at Ramsgate , sits this replica Viking longship for visitors to admire today . The replica sailed from Denmark to Thanet in 1949 ; a gift to commemorate the 1,500th anniversary of the A . D . 449 landing of Anglo-Saxon chieftains Hengist and Horsa at Ebbsfleet , and the betrothal of Hengist ’ s daughter , Rowena , to King Vortigen of Kent . The ship arrived at Viking Bay ( previously Min Bay ) Broadstairs in 1949 , where it was met by huge crowds . This was documented in a British Pathe newsreel entitled ‘ Kent Welcomes Viking Invaders ’.
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