Sandgate Histories

Jill Partridge was born in Sandgate in the 1940’s and has shared her memories of the village at that time is a series of articles. Stanley Robinson was born in Sandgate on 11th February 1927, and stayed here through his WW11 service with the Home Guard, including standing guard on Sandgate Castle.

Read Sandgate Histories from those that knew the village.

Sandgate Poetry

Poems of and about Sandgate.

Sandgate Tales

L/R Christine Bleach, Frank Pyke, Jill Partridge, Annie Bamford, Bob Preedy

Our collection of fascinating Sandgate Tales have been created by the Sandgate Archives Team over the last 10 years, working from our records and collection in Sandgate and added to and brought to life with additional research. They are a “deep dive” into some of the people and places that have made Sandgate.

• Sandgate Tale 13: Lilla, The Countess of Chichester & The Chichester Memorial Hall
  Lilla, baptised Elizabeth Mary Bligh, was born in Stockholm, Sweden on 22nd March 1837. She died aged 47 on 7th December 1911 at Enbrook. Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir John Duncan Bligh and his first wife Elizabeth Mary Gisborne. Sadly, Lilla’s mother died on 22nd July 1837 aged 22 just four months after giving birth whilst living in Stockholm. … Read more: Sandgate Tale 13: Lilla, The Countess of Chichester & The Chichester Memorial Hall
• Sandgate Tale 12: The Sandgate Railway – from departure to demise
  The Railway Mania in the mid 1800s was a classic bubble. Middle class money was thrilled to be part of this huge social enterprise. From 1843 to 1846 hundreds of companies were formed with shares duly issued in anticipation of the required Act of Parliament to commence the purchase of land. Sadly in 1845 Bank interest rates rose providing a… Read more: Sandgate Tale 12: The Sandgate Railway – from departure to demise
• Sandgate Tale 11: Pubs, Breweries and Hotels in Sandgate over Time
  There have been over the years many pubs, clubs and hotels in Sandgate in fact at one time it was reported there were over thirty pubs alone in Sandgate, also several breweries. I thought this tale might be of interest to the reader so we need to start way back in the late 1700s! Although we know that the Castle… Read more: Sandgate Tale 11: Pubs, Breweries and Hotels in Sandgate over Time
• Sandgate Tale 10: H G Wells & Spade House
  “Our true nationality is mankind” “What really matters is what you do with what you have” Herbert George Wells was born on 21 September 1866 in Bromley, Kent.  He died in London on 13 August 1946.  H G Wells commissioned the building of Spade House, Radnor Cliff Crescent, in Sandgate in 1899.  The architect for Spade House was Charles Francis… Read more: Sandgate Tale 10: H G Wells & Spade House
• Sandgate Tale 9: Joseph Seymour Clark – Builder
  Around 1901 Joseph and his brother Frederick set up the building firm, F W & J Clark, from their home addresses, 20 Shorncliffe Terrace and 15 Park Road, Folkestone. Early in their business they undertook a project to build five three storeyed terraced houses at the East end of Sandgate High St and named them Seymour Villas.  Joseph Seymour Clark… Read more: Sandgate Tale 9: Joseph Seymour Clark – Builder
• Sandgate Tale 8: History of the Early Post Office in Sandgate
  These notes are part of a lengthy study of the early postal history of Sandgate gathered from the Royal Mail Archive and local historical secondary sources.      A receiver at Sandgate is first recorded in 1794 with the establishment of the military camp above Sandgate (known now as Shorncliffe). An application was made to open a communication between Canterbury and… Read more: Sandgate Tale 8: History of the Early Post Office in Sandgate
• Sandgate Tale 7: Sea Rescues by Thomas John Moore
  These ‘Tales from the Archives’ have been selected from the written record called The Story of Sandgate by Fred Moore, son of Thomas Moore. Fred Moore has written about many subjects relating to Sandgate but the ones which stand out for me are the brave sea rescues and the lives saved by Fred’s father Thomas who was born in 1863,… Read more: Sandgate Tale 7: Sea Rescues by Thomas John Moore
• Sandgate Tale 6: Encombe – Shorncliffe – Canada – Lusitania
  A TRUE STORY TOLD TO JILL PATRIDGE BY ROB PATERSON WHOM WE DID SOME RESEARCH FOR. HE LIVES IN CANADA. In the fall of 1914, after war was declared, Sir Montagu Allan and his wife Marguerite, left their home ‘Ravenscrag’ in Montreal on a house hunting trip to England.  The plan was that his wife was to do Red Cross… Read more: Sandgate Tale 6: Encombe – Shorncliffe – Canada – Lusitania
• Sandgate Tale 5: Sandgate Reminiscences by Elizabeth Katy Evans (nee Jago)
  An extract of a talk given to the Sandgate Society in 1981 I was born in Sandgate on 26th July 1900 in Wilberforce Road, the second child and only daughter of George Jago (1870-1919) and his wife Kate (1873-1961) nee Gawler. My three brothers – George, Jim and Tom were also born in Wilberforce Road and we lived there till… Read more: Sandgate Tale 5: Sandgate Reminiscences by Elizabeth Katy Evans (nee Jago)
• Sandgate Tale 4: Sandgate – Shipbuilding – Shipwrecks
  Sandgate was first noted as Sandy Gate in the 13th Century as a Guard post, but it’s history really began in 1539 when Henry the eighth built the Castle as one of a chain of defences along with Walmer-Deal-Sandown and Camber to defend the coast from the Spanish. The accounts for the building of the Castle are held in the… Read more: Sandgate Tale 4: Sandgate – Shipbuilding – Shipwrecks
• Sandgate Tale 3: Sgt. Albert John Moore R.G.A
  Sgt A J Moore, his picture below, and this small but intriguing newspaper article about him was discovered just recently in the Ist Kent Artillery Volunteer Corps record book which can be found in the Archives on this website. This newspaper article tells us that Sgt Moore of the Royal Garrison Artillery has been awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous bravery on… Read more: Sandgate Tale 3: Sgt. Albert John Moore R.G.A
• Sandgate Tale 2: The Early Memories of Tom Jago of Sandgate
  I was born on 15th January 1937 at No. 1 Martello Cottages the home of my grandmother, Kate Jago, I was the second son of Thomas and Florence Jago, grandson of George Jago and great grandson of James Jago a Coastguard who settled in Sandgate on his retirement. My elder brother James was born in 1935. In 1939, we were living… Read more: Sandgate Tale 2: The Early Memories of Tom Jago of Sandgate
• Sandgate Tale 1: The Amazing Life of James Field
  This is an interesting tale, about a gentleman named James Field, who ended up, owning a considerable chunk of Sandgate.  He acquired the land from Lord Radnor in 1839. Along with Henry Dawkins of Encombe and Lord Darnley of the Enbrook Estate. Field could be said to be the third largest landowner, until his death in 1888. Field became entangled… Read more: Sandgate Tale 1: The Amazing Life of James Field