Heritage Lab Ramsgate

Home
United Kingdom
Ramsgate
Heritage Lab Ramsgate

Directions Website Contact the organisation

Established to unlock the social and economic potential of the 450 listed historic buildings and community assets in Ramsgate.

13/10/2026

A new round of Ramsgate Pride in Place grants are now open!

Do you have an idea that could make a difference in Ramsgate? The latest Pride in Place funding round is open until midnight on 15 November 2026. The fund is designed to support projects that help create stronger communities and thriving places in Ramsgate.

Who can apply?
The fund is open to a wide range of eligible applicants, including:
• Established organisations
• Community groups
• Businesses
• Micro-entities
• Sole traders
• Other eligible organisations and applicants

Projects can be new, expand or strengthen existing work, or sustain an effective existing activity – provided the application clearly demonstrates the added value created by the funding.

Importantly, projects must contribute to one or more of the Ramsgate Pride in Place Programme Priorities and every application must demonstrate how the project will help move Ramsgate towards a year-round economy.
If you have a project or idea that could benefit Ramsgate and meet these criteria, now is the time to apply.

👉 Find out more about the fund, eligibility and how to apply: https://bit.ly/4B3Ey2H

06/10/2026

50 years. Thousands of buildings. Countless communities transformed.

This year, the Architectural Heritage Fund celebrates 50 years of helping communities rescue, restore and reimagine historic buildings across the UK.

The Architectural Heritage Fund has been an invaluable partner to Heritage Lab Ramsgate, providing both funding and expert support through the Heritage Development Trust programme.

Since 1976 they’ve supported more than 2,400 heritage projects, awarded over 3,000 grants and invested more than £182 million into bringing historic places back to life.

Their impact goes far beyond bricks and mortar. It’s about creating homes, workspaces, cultural venues, community hubs and places where people can connect once again.

Congratulations to the Architectural Heritage Fund on an incredible 50 years of transforming communities across the UK.

25/09/2026

Historic England does fantastic work supporting the protection and care of England’s historic places and helping communities to sustain them for future generations.

Its Places of Worship Renewal Fund offers grants to support the repair and renewal of historic places of worship across England.

If you’re involved in caring for a historic place of worship and planning essential repairs, urgent conservation work or its future renewal, this could be a funding opportunity worth exploring.

The current application round is open until Friday 2 October 2026 at 5pm. Find out more and check whether your project could be eligible: https://bit.ly/4rr9aa6

17/09/2026

Join a new walking tour this Saturday organised by Ramsgate Royal Heritage Harbour Group! Learn about Ramsgate craftspeople from the last 300 years who lived and worked in and around the UK’s only royal harbour.

As part of this year’s Heritage Open Days 2026 theme ‘Everyday Histories’, Ramsgate Royal Heritage Harbour Group is exploring the people, skills and working lives that helped shape our town.
Starting at Ramsgate Visitor Information Centre, this guided trail will follow in the footsteps of fishermen, Smack Boy apprentices and sailors, before heading into the town to uncover the stories of tailors, dressmakers, drapers and haberdashers.

Along the way, discover some of Ramsgate’s oldest streets, visit the famous Wall of Buttons at the Haberdashery & Fabric Shop and explore the craft exhibition at Maker’s House.

Saturday 19 September 2026
2–4pm

Start: Ramsgate Visitor Information Centre, The Custom House, Harbour Parade

Free – no booking required (maximum of 12 spaces available for the tour)

Find out more on the Heritage Open Days website: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-event/everyday-histories-ramsgate-craftspeople-royal-harbour-town-trail.html

Chaired by The Ramsgate Society the Ramsgate Royal Heritage Harbour Group was established in March 2024 to achieve Heritage Harbour status for the Royal Harbour. Since receiving this designation in July 2024, the group has been the forum for local organisations to celebrate and promote Ramsgate and its Royal Harbour through heritage powered projects and initiatives.

10/09/2026

Tomorrow sees the return of Ramsgate Festival of Sound, bringing four days of live music, performances, installations and unexpected sounds to venues and spaces across the town.

We love seeing Ramsgate's historic places and much-loved local spaces brought to life through music, creativity and new experiences.

From the Ramsgate Noise Institute's opening party to ‘Sing the Body Electric’ at St George's Church, there are plenty of opportunities to experience something a little different.

The festival continues throughout the weekend, with Lunatraktors and Screaming Alley at Winterstoke Gardens, Teenage Kicks at the Eastcliff Bandstand and Look Mum No Computer taking over the Granville Theatre.

Four days. A whole town. And plenty of sounds to discover!
Ramsgate Festival of Sound runs 10–13 September.

https://www.ramsgatefestival.org/

Image credit: Mike Goldwater for Winterstoke Gardens and Callum Sutton at St George’s Church.

08/09/2026

Every September, Heritage Open Days invites people to discover the stories behind the places that make our communities unique.

There’s plenty to explore in Ramsgate this year, including some of our favourite historic buildings and spaces:

Italianate Glasshouse & Garden
The Old Stable Block, Montefiore Avenue, Ramsgate
11–13 September
10am–4pm
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-event/the-italinate-greenhouse.html

Step inside this beautifully restored glasshouse, originally erected in 1832 in the grounds of East Cliff Lodge. During the weekend, the garden and greenhouse will also host 'The Garden of Earthly Delights', an exhibition of ceramics, prints and drawings by local artists Bimba Champion, Rupert Willard and Death Row Ceramics.

St George’s Church
St George’s Church, Ramsgate
Saturday 12 September
10am–3pm
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-event/st-george-s-church-ramsgate.html

Explore this Grade I-listed church with guided tours of the Lantern Tower and crypt.

Pugin’s Ramsgate: The Grange & St Edward’s Presbytery
St Augustine’s Road
11–14 September
Fri–Sun 10am–4pm; Mon 10am–1pm
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-event/pugin-s-ramsgate-the-grange-and-st-edward-s-presbytery-open-days-1.html

Discover Augustus Pugin’s former home and St Edward’s Presbytery, with free admission and activities throughout the weekend.

04/09/2026

Fancy a deskspace in the heart of Ramsgate? At Ramsgate Works, we have a large permanent desk available now and another from 1st October.

£225/month each. Discounts are available by paying for 4 or 6 months upfront. Available for sign up on the Ramsgate Works website now. If you’d like to take a look, you can also book a tour via the website at https://www.ramsgate.works/

--

Ramsgate Works is a friendly coworking space in a quiet courtyard in the heart of Ramsgate.

A space for creatives, remote workers, digital nomads, entrepreneurs and anyone looking for an inspiring place to work. Both dedicated and flexible hotdesking spaces are available with a range of facilities and member benefits.

Image by Tom Keenan Photography (tomkeenanphotography.co.uk)

20/08/2026

Vote for Margate’s Shell Grotto!

One of Kent’s most intriguing heritage treasures has made the shortlist for the Seaside Heritage Network's 2026 Bucket & Spade List – and we think it deserves your vote!

The Shell Grotto in Margate is a Grade I-listed underground wonder, discovered in 1835 and decorated with around 4.6 million shells. Its origins remain a mystery, with no surviving records explaining who created it, when or why.

We're proud to see such a unique piece of Thanet's heritage recognised alongside seaside heritage from across the UK.

Voting is open until 1 September – cast your vote and help put Shell Grotto at the top of the list!

Vote here: https://seasideheritage.org.uk/bucket-spade-list/vote-for-2026-winners/

10/08/2026

Could the Ramsgate Marina Bathing Pool have a future once again?

It's a question that's increasingly part of the national conversation around seaside regeneration.

We're pleased to see Heritage Lab Ramsgate's vision for bringing the Marina Bathing Pool back to life featured in Country Life magazine following the Valuing Seaside Heritage Symposium at Saltdean Lido, where our CEO, Rob Kenyon, spoke about the role historic seaside places can play in shaping thriving coastal communities.

The article concludes:

“Meanwhile, although the days of the default bucket-and-spade holiday are long gone, a growing social-media-driven appetite for outdoor swimming and increasingly hot summers are making trips to the coast ever more tempting—and momentum is building behind seaside heritage projects as a result. One such is Ramsgate’s Marina Bathing Pool in Kent, which was closed in 1975 to make way for an unloved car park. The Ramsgate Heritage Lab is in discussions with Thanet District Council and a developer to revive it, and believes bringing the lido back to life could set a new and more sustainable course for the town’s future. ‘It is our responsibility not only to value seaside heritage because it tells us where we’ve come from, but because it can tell us where we’re going,’ said Rob Kenyon, its CEO.”

We believe our historic places aren't just reminders of the past – they can be catalysts for the future. Projects like the Marina Bathing Pool have the potential to create jobs, attract visitors, improve wellbeing and give people even more reasons to be proud of Ramsgate.

Courtesy of Country Life magazine, July 22, 2026 (www.countrylife.co.uk). Valuing Seaside Heritage Symposium organised by the Seaside Heritage Network.

Historic image courtesy of Michael's Bookshop, Ramsgate (https://www.michaelsbookshop.com/).

03/08/2026

What if Charlotte Court became one of Ramsgate's favourite public spaces? ✨

Imagine a greener, more welcoming, family-friendly Charlotte Court with outdoor markets, performances, film nights, community events, places to sit with friends, beautiful planting and space for everyone to enjoy.

We've just submitted a proposal to Thanet District Council to take on Charlotte Court through a Community Asset Transfer.

So... what's that?

A Community Asset Transfer is an established national and Thanet District Council policy where public assets can be transferred to community organisations so they can invest in, improve and manage them for long-term community benefit. It's an approach that's already been used locally, including for the Ramsgate Ice House.

For Charlotte Court, community ownership is the key that could unlock significant external funding to transform the space outside the Old W**e Warehouse into a vibrant community courtyard at the heart of Ramsgate. As a Community Interest Company, Heritage Lab Ramsgate has an asset lock, meaning any transferred asset must always be used for community benefit and can't be sold for private gain.

This video and images show a possible vision of what Charlotte Court could become.

**Note: this proposal relates only to the courtyard outside Giant Coffee, Ramsgate Arts Club and Saltworks. It does not include the adjacent pétanque court.**

💭 We'd love to hear your ideas too.

What would make you want to spend more time here?

👇 Tell us in the comments.

(The video and images in this post are an AI impression to help start a conversation, they are not a final design.)

Address

Ramsgate

Website

http://heritagelab.org.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Heritage Lab Ramsgate posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Heritage Lab Ramsgate:

Want your organisation to be the top-listed non profit organisation in Ramsgate?