Chapter I: Front Matter

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THE KENTISH COAST

WORKS BY CHARLES G. HARPER

=The Portsmouth Road=, and its Tributaries: To-Day and in Days of
Old.

=The Dover Road=: Annals of an Ancient Turnpike.

=The Bath Road=: History, Fashion, and Frivolity on an Old Highway.

=The Exeter Road=: The Story of the West of England Highway.

=The Great North Road=: The Old Mail Road to Scotland. Two Vols.

=The Norwich Road=: An East Anglian Highway.

=The Holyhead Road=: The Mail-Coach Road to Dublin. Two Vols.

=The Cambridge, Ely, and King’s Lynn Road=: The Great Fenland
Highway.

=The Newmarket, Bury, Thetford, and Cromer Road=: Sport and History
on an East Anglian Turnpike.

=The Oxford, Gloucester, and Milford Haven Road=: The Ready Way to
South Wales. Two Vols.

=The Brighton Road=: Speed, Sport, and History on the Classic
Highway.

=The Hastings Road= and the “Happy Springs of Tunbridge.”

=Cycle Rides Round London.=

=A Practical Handbook of Drawing for Modern Methods of
Reproduction.=

=Stage-Coach and Mail in Days of Yore.= Two Vols.

=The Ingoldsby Country=: Literary Landmarks of “The Ingoldsby
Legends.”

=The Hardy Country=: Literary Landmarks of the Wessex Novels.

=The Dorset Coast.=

=The South Devon Coast.=

=The Old Inns of England.= Two Vols.

=Love in the Harbour=: a Longshore Comedy.

=Rural Nooks Round London= (Middlesex and Surrey).

=Haunted Houses=; Tales of the Supernatural.

=The Manchester and Glasgow Road.= This way to Gretna Green. Two
Vols.

=The North Devon Coast.=

=Half-Hours with the Highwaymen.= Two Vols.

=The Autocar Road Book.=

=The Somerset Coast.=

=The Cornish Coast.= North.

=The Cornish Coast.= South.

=Thames Valley Villages=

=The Shakespeare Country.=

=The Sussex Coast.=

[_In the Press._

THE
KENTISH COAST

BY
CHARLES G. HARPER

“_Kent, in the commentaries Cæsar writ,
Is termed the civil’st place of all this isle:
Sweet is the country, because full of riches;
The people liberal, valiant, active, wealthy._”

KING HENRY THE SIXTH (Second Part).

LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, LTD.
1914

PRINTED AND BOUND BY
HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD.,
LONDON AND AYLESBURY.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
PAGE
DEPTFORD AND PETER THE GREAT 1

CHAPTER II

GREENWICH--THE ROYAL NAVAL HOSPITAL--THE “FUBBS YACHT”--THE
GREENWICH WHITEBAIT DINNERS--WOOLWICH--THE “PRINCESS
ALICE” DISASTER--LESNES ABBEY--ERITH--DARTFORD 15

CHAPTER III

STONE--GREENHITHE--NORTHFLEET--HUGGENS’S COLLEGE--ROSHERVILLE--
GRAVESEND--SHORNEMEAD--CLIFFE--COOLING--THE HUNDRED OF HOO--
THE ISLE OF GRAIN--HOO ST. WERBURGH--UPNOR CASTLE--STROOD 31

CHAPTER IV

ROCHESTER AND CHATHAM--BROMPTON--GILLINGHAM--GRANGE--OTTERHAM
QUAY--LOWER HALSTOW--IWADE 57

CHAPTER V

SHEPPEY 67

CHAPTER VI

THE CAPTURE OF JAMES THE SECOND--FAVERSHAM 88

CHAPTER VII

MILTON-NEXT-SITTINGBOURNE--SITTINGBOURN--OLD INNS--MURSTON--
LUDDENHAM 94

CHAPTER VIII

GOODNESTONE--GRAVENEY--SEASALTER--WHITSTABLE AND THE OYSTER
FISHERY 103

CHAPTER IX

HERNE BAY--RECULVER--WANTSUM--SARRE 116

CHAPTER X

THANET’S CORNFIELDS--MONKTON--MINSTER-IN-THANET--BIRCHINGTON--
QUEX PARK--WESTGATE--DANDELION 130

CHAPTER XI

MARGATE 144

CHAPTER XII

KINGSGATE--THE NORTH FORELAND--BROADSTAIRS--ST. PETER’S 156

CHAPTER XIII

RAMSGATE 167

CHAPTER XIV

PEGWELL BAY--EBBSFLEET--THE LANDINGS OF HENGIST AND OF ST.
AUGUSTINE--RICHBOROUGH 177

CHAPTER XV

SANDWICH 188

CHAPTER XVI

WORTH--UPPER DEAL--DEAL--THE GOODWIN SANDS 214

CHAPTER XVII

THE DOWNS AND THE DEAL BOATMEN 240

CHAPTER XVIII

WALMER CASTLE--KINGSDOWN--ST. MARGARET’S BAY 256

CHAPTER XIX

DOVER--THE CASTLE AND ROMAN PHAROS--“QUEEN ELIZABETH’S
POCKET-PISTOL”--THE WESTERN HEIGHTS 270

CHAPTER XX

THE CHANNEL PASSAGE--THE NATIONAL HARBOUR AND ITS STRATEGIC
PURPOSE--SWIMMING AND FLYING THE CHANNEL 284

CHAPTER XXI

SHAKESPEARE’S CLIFF--SAMPHIRE--THE CHANNEL TUNNEL--COAL IN
KENT--THE WARREN 298

CHAPTER XXII

FOLKESTONE--THE OLD TOWN AND THE NEW--DICKENS AND
“PAVILIONSTONE”--SANDGATE 308

CHAPTER XXIII

SHORNCLIFFE CAMP--THE ROYAL MILITARY CANAL--HYTHE--ROMNEY
MARSH--THE MARTELLO TOWERS--THE “HOLY MAID OF KENT” 319

CHAPTER XXIV

NEW ROMNEY--SMUGGLING DAYS--BROOKLAND--FAIRFIELD--SMALLHYTHE 344