Ramsgate and Gloucester officially become Heritage Harbours this weekend, Saturday 7 September, 2024. They join 12 other locations across the UK already recognised for their contribution to saving our maritime heritage. The Heritage Harbours project is supported by National Historic Ships UK, Historic England and Maritime Heritage Trust.
“We are very pleased to welcome on board Gloucester Docks and Ramsgate’s Royal Harbour, during Heritage Open Days 2024, the largest festival of history and culture in the UK,” said Henry Cleary, Heritage Harbours’ convenor and chair of Maritime Heritage Trust. “Heritage Harbours are about capturing the interactions between navigable water and the land and buildings alongside it. No other designation does this and we now have locations which represent the main types of historic port from the Roman period to the 19th century.“
The OGA has been closely connected with the Heritage Harbours project for many years. The OGA60 fleet set out from Ramsgate in 2023 for their Jubilee Round Britain Cruise. The cover photo by Barbara Runnalls shows Ramsgate in 2013 with the OGA50 fleet. The Association’s AGM will be held in Gloucester next year on 11 January, 2025. Other East Coast Heritage Harbours include Faversham and Oare Creeks, Ipswich, Maldon and Heybridge, all visited regularly by OGA boats.