BROADSTAIRS, a hamlet and sea-port (small), in the
parish of ST-PETER, hundred of RINGSLOW, or Isle of
THANET, lathe of ST-AUGUSTINE, county of KENT, 2
miles (N.E. by N.) from Ramsgate, and 75 (E.) from
London. .The population is returned with the parish.
This place, anciently called Bradstow, exhibits many
vestiges of its former importance; and though subsequently
reduced to an inconsiderable village, inhabited
only by a few fishermen, it has lately risen into celebrity
as a place of fashionable resort for sea-bathing, and is
visited in the season by many respectable families, for
whose accommodation several new buildings have been
recently erected: warm baths, arranged with every requisite
appendage, have also been constructed.' There are
two public libraries, an assembly-room, and an excellent
hotel. _ Leading down to .the shore is a stone arch, or
portal, with walls built of flint, in which were gates and
a portcullis, with a drawbridge attached to it, erected
to protect the inhabitants from the incursions of privateers:
above the arch is the following inscription/—
f< York gate, built by George Culmer, A.D. 1540, repaired
by Sir John Henniker, Bart., 1795." At a short
distance from the gate stood a chapel, in 'which was
placed an image of the Virgin Mary, to whom it was
dedicated, in passing which all vessels lowered, their
topsails, as a mark of reverence. The pier, which-is
accessible only to vessels. of small burden, was constructed
in the reign'of Henry VIII., for the safety of
the craft employed in the fishing trade, once considerable:
it is'built of wood, and though an act of parliament,
passed, in'the 32nd of George III., for the improvement
of the harbour and the pier, the trade had'decreased
so much that its provisions were never carried
into effect.; The principal source of employment at present
is ship-building, and that is on the decline. Fairs
for toys, &c; are held on April 8th "and July 10th.
A chapel was erected by subscription in 1828, the
minister's stipend being derived from the rents of the
seats. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists.
AtKirigsgate, in the vicinity, is the Bead House,
built in the form of a chapel, now appropriated to the
entertainment of parties- of pleasure: the sea having undermined
the cliff, part of the house has been taken down,
the1 same fate, in all probability, awaiting the remainder.
Near the cliff is a rude ancient building, erected-on the
larger of-two tumuli,' named Hackendon, or Hackingdown
banks, where'a desperate battle is said to have
taken place, in 853, between the Saxons and the Danes,
and -to the memory of those who fell in it a tablet was
inscribed by Henry, Lord Holland, who erected the
building. These tumuli being opened, in 1745, were
found to contain graves of an oblong form, and not
more than three feet in length, excavated in the solid
chalk, and covered with flat stones, and in them were
many large human bones, in a perfect state; in one
were found three urns of coarse earthenware. Near
Broadstairs is an opening through the cliff to the
shore, formerly called Bartholomew's Gate, through
which Charles II., accompanied by the Duke of York,
passed on landing here, in 1683, on his passage from
London to Dovor; this has since been called Kingsgate,
and the event is recorded by a Latin inscription,
in letters of brass, on one side of the gate; on the
other is an inscription in Saxon characters. In the vicinity
are several curious buildings, erected by the late
Lord Holland, as ornaments' to his grounds at this
place, where he had a villa, built on the model of that
belonging to Cicero", at'Baix: among them are the temple,
of Neptune, with an appropriate inscription, Arx
Ruochim; a small castle, in imitation of those built.by
Henry VIII., for the protection of the coast; Harley
tower; Whif,fieht tower, erected on the highest spot in,
the isle j Countess" fort 5 and an edifice originally intended
for a mews, but now a handsome dwellinghouse.
Between Broadstairs and King'sgate is the North
Foreland, the most eastern point of England, and supposed
to have been the Roman -station Cantium, mentioned'by
Ptolemy, on which a lighthouse was- erected
in 1683. Coal was burnt here till 1794, when patent
lamps, with magnifying lenses of twenty inches diameter,
were introduced by the corporation of the Trinity
House: the expense of maintaining, this light, which
may be seen at the distance of twenty or thirty miles,
is defrayed by a duty of twopence per ton on English,
and fourpence per ton on foreign, vessels. In 1795, a
signal-house was erected near this spot, where a lieutenant
and two midshipmen were stationed during the
war: a telegraph was also constructed here in 1813,
and one on the steeple of the church at St. Peter's,
forming the commencement of a line of communication
with the Nore, which was kept up till the proclamation
of peace with France.