RAMSGATE (Riuia's Gate; Blum is the British name of Thanet), a sea-port, market i., and favorite watering-place in the county of Kent, in the s.e. of the isle of Thanet, 97 m. e.s.e. of London by railway. Anciently it was a small fishing-village; but it began to increase in importance about the beginning of the 18th c., when a number of its inhabitants opened up a successful trade with " Russia and the east country." The recently built portion of the town consists of well-arranged streets, crescents, and ter races; and the older part is situated in a natural depression or cutting in the chalk-coast, opening out toward the sea, and called in this district a "gate" or "stair." Ramsgate, as a watering-place, is slightly more aristocratic than Margate (q.v.); and during the season, which lasts from the middle of summer to the end of autumn, the charges are very high. At the height of the season the population of Ramsgate is increased to above 20,000. The climate is much more bracing than that of the southern coast, and
exercises a salutary influence in cases of scorbutic disorder. The harbor of Ramsgate 40 acres iu extent, and inclosed on the e. by a splendid pier 3,000 ft. in length, and on the w, by another pier 1500 ft. long—serves as a harbor of refuge for the downs. About w. of Ramsgate is Oseuttall hill, on which a number of Saxon and several Roman graves have been recently discovered, and a large number of most interesting relics, as spear-heads, coins, ornaments in silver, etc., armor, glass and amber beads, etc., found. (See Wright's Wanderings of an Antiquary). Ship-building and rope-making are here carried on, and coal is imported. In 1875 337 vessels, of 29,550 tons, entered the port, and 104, of 6,386 tons, cleared. Pop. '71, 14,640.