Old Images of Broadstairs, Kent

Historic Book

Extract from”The New Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs Guide; Containing an Historical Epitome of the Ancient and Present State of the Isle of Thanet, Etc”

Published in 1801

Pages 92 – 99

THE VILLE OF BROADSTAIRS , usually called
by the inhabitants Bradstow , and so named from :
the Saxon words Bradsteow , that is , a broad place ,
is three miles to the south – east of Margate , and two
to the north of Ramsgate , has of late years become
a summer resort for many respectable families ; and
from the many new buildings erected , it at present
forms a small town , and the most considerable in .
the parish to which it belongs , namely St. Peter’s ..
Broadstairs , though originally a small hamlet , has
an appearance of antiquity , as there are the remains
of a stone arch , or portal , walled with flints , to
which were formerly fixed strong gates and a port
cullis , to prevent any incursions made here by pri- .
vateers ; which has lately been repaired by Sir John
Henniker . At a small distance above the gate ,
there was an antient chapel , dedicated to the Virgin
Mary , under the appellation of our Lady of Pity ,.
though more usually our Lady of Bradstow ; in this

chapel was her image , which was held in such
veneration , that ships , as they passed this port , used
to lower their topsails to salute it . The remains of
this chapel are now converted into a dwelling house ,
though the door – way and several of its windows are
still entire . At a small distance , built of timber , is
the little pier of Broadstairs , when , or by whom
first made is not known ; but in 1564 and 1586 , it
appears by indenture to have been the fee estate of
the family of Culmer , of this place ; and that leave
and privilege of using the way was granted and con
firmed by them to the inhabitants and parishioners ,
provided they paid half a man’s share of every
boat appertaining to the parish , of such profits , & c .
which should happen to them by wrecks of the
sea , and other casualties therein specified . And in
consideration of the sum of ten pounds , they had
granted to them the pier of Bradstow , with all their
right in it , to hold for ever for the good of the
commonwealth with them , on their paying to the

wardens of the pier , for the maintenance of it , such
dues as had been accustomed ; but the harbour
having been greatly decayed by length of time and
frequent storms , became so much damaged , in
particular by one in 1763 , and then again by that
tremendous one in January 1767 , that it was almost
entirely demolished and rendered useless , insomuch .
that the rates and contributions of the inhabitants

were insufficient for the repair of it ; and the charge
of rebuilding of it , on a moderate estimation and
survey , taken for that purpose , amounted to up
wards of 20001. This obliged the inhabitants some
years afterwards to solicit the contribution of the
public for rebuilding the pier ; and at length , in
the 32d year of the present reign , an act was ob
tained for that purpose , under the management of
certain commissioners , with proper powers for the
improvement and better maintenance of it ; but if
we may judge from the present poor state of this
pier and harbour , the provisions of the said act
have not enabled the commissioners to effect so
desirable a purpose .

NEAR this place , in 1574 , a monstrous fish shot
himself on shore on a little sand , now called Fish
ness , where , for want of water , it died next day ;
before which his roaring was heard above a mile ;
his length , says Kilburne , was 22 yards , the nether
jaw opening 12 feet ; one of his eyes was more than
a cart and six horses could draw , a man stood up
right in the place from whence his eye was taken ,
the thickness from his back to the top of his belly
( which lay upwards ) was 14 feet , his tail of the
same breadth , the distance between his eyes 12 feet ,
three men stood upright in his mouth , some of his
ribs were 14 feet long , his tongue 15 feet , his liver

two cart loads , and a man might creep into his
nostril . On the 2d of February , 1762 , a large male
whale of the spermaceti kind came on shore here ,
which measured 61 feet long and 45 in girt .
THIS place had once a great trade to Iceland ,
and employed several vessels in the cod fishery , but
from the ravages of war and other disasters is now
gone to decay : the only trade which at present
enlivens the place ( when not resorted to for bathing
and retirement ) is ship – building , a considerable
branch of which has been carried on for some
years by Mr. White , who has particularly distin
guished himself in this truly British art ; several .
Indiamen , as well as most of the fast sailing packets
which distinguish the port of Margate , yield the .
palm of excellence to his inventive genius .

HERE are two good houses of accommodation ,
the Phoenix Hotel , great part of which is now let
as lodgings : lower down , in the same street , is the
Rose Inn , kept by Mr. Payton ( late Hurst ) ; op
posite to which stands Barfield’s Library , desirably
situated for business , which has a good collection .
of books , and is well furnished with stationary ,
toys , & c .: the library and reading – room front the
sea , and command a most delightful view of the
ocean , with the Downs , and French coast .

THE Bathing place is in , and off the harbour ,
and the machines and rooms are are upon the same
plan , and as well suited for the purpose , as those
we have before described .
AN elegant villa , at the entrance of this pleasant
town , on the road to Margate , has lately been built
by Thomas Forsyth , Esq . for his summer residence ,
with a spacious range of convenient stables , whose
situation for the beauty and extent of its prospect
is scarcely to be exceeded in this admired island .
There are many other good houses in this place ,
the principal part of which are situated on the cliff
towards the pier ; among which , is Nuckell’s Li
brary , Post – Office , and Toy – Shop , which has a
valuable collection of books , stationary , & c . and
has a fine view of the Downs and French coast .

BROADSTAIRS being a hamlet belonging to
St. Peter’s parish , it has no place of worship , ex
cept a meeting – house , belonging to the General
Baptist’s . The Established church at St. Pe-
ter’s , a mile distant , is a very handsome structure
of the gothic kind , consisting of three ailes , and
a beautiful chancel , ceiled in compartments , the
framing of which is enriched with carved ‘ work , as
is the cornice on each side , and is painted in a
most lively manner ; indeed we scarcely meet with

a church kept in such excellent order : it has a
handsome desk and pulpit of wainscot , and is
elegantly pewed of the same materials . At the
west end of the church is a strong steeple , built of
flints , with stone quoins and buttresses ; it is very
remarkable for a large fissure from the top of the
tower on the east , and a similar one on the west
side , which were occasioned by a severe shock of
an earthquake , on the 6th of April , 1580. This
church was one of the chapels belonging to Min
ster , but was made parochial after the year 1200

In 1630 , the churchwardens reported that here
was belonging to the vicarage a mansion , with a
well – house , orchard , and garden , and an acre of
land adjoining , and one parcel of land , called the
Vicar’s acre , lying within the lands of Capt . Nor
wood , who paid to the vicar , in consideration of it ,
five shillings a year ; but no care being taken to pre
serve the bounds of this acre , the place where it
lay was forgot , and the rent paid for it disputed ,
and at length quite discontinued . But the small
tithes of this parish , with the other emoluments ,
being far short of a reasonable maintenance for the
vicar , Mrs. Elizabeth Lovejoy , in 1694 , augmented
his income with 401. per annum out of the parson
age at Callis grange ; in consideration of which
augmentation , he is obliged to constant residence

on this vicarage : she also gave to a school – master ,
to teach twenty poor children gratis 20 L. per ann ,
with several other bequests named in her will .

ST . PETER’s village is very pleasing , as it stands
on an eminence , surrounded with trees , and is ren
dered still more so from its vicinity to Margate and
Ramsgate , together with the thoroughfare to Broad
stairs ; it being the constant resort of parties from
each of the above places , during the season , as well
as the residence of several genteel families . In this
parish are several other small hamlets and houses in
terspersed , viz . towards the south , Upton , Bromp
ston , and Dumpton : on the north – west side is
Sackett’s Hill , on which there has lately been a
handsome house erected : in the northern part of
it , is the hamlet of Reading – street , southward of
which is a small forestall , and then Sowell – street :
in the eastern part of the parish , close to the cilffs ,
is Hackendon downe , or banks , as will be further
mentioned ; and the hamlet of Stone , where Sir
Charles Raymond , Bart . a few years ago , built
an elegant house ; lately purchased by
Cuthbut , Esq . Not far from hence there for
merly stood a beacon , which used to be fired to

alarm the country in case of an invasion ; a little
further westward , and inland upon Kitchen – hill ,
was a second ; and a mile further inward , at Os

sendun , a third , a chain of thése alarm – posts being
to be traced through the island . The beacon ap
pears to have been a tall upright piece of timber ,
at the top of which was affixed a pully , through
which an iron chain was passed to draw up a barrel
of lighted pitch . A few years since some remains
of one of these beacons was dug up between Stone
and the present light – house .