A Brief History
Walmer and its close neighbour Deal are,
today, relatively unspoilt residential seaside towns. However,
they have had a turbulent past - not least the arrival of Julius
Caesar and his legions on Walmer beach in 55BC and the decision
of Henry VIII, fearful of invasion, to build the castles
at Deal, Walmer and Sandown in 1540. To read more.... CLICK
HERE. |
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| Walmer
Castle |
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| Memorial
Bandstand |
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| Jubilee
Mosaic |
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| Angling,
Walmer beach |
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| Blessed
St Mary Church |
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| St
Mary Church |
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| Walmer
Court ruins |
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| Nevill
Gardens |
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| Walmer
Brewery |
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| Royal
Marine Band |
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| Walmer
Green |
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| RNLI
Boathouse |
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| Saxon
Shore Way |
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| Wartime
poster |
See
our Album of
Historic photos and
past events at Walmer
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Deal
Memorial Bandstand
Following the IRA bombing of the Royal
Marines Barracks in Deal on 22 September 1989, it was suggested
a new bandstand should be built as a living tribute to the 11
musicians who had died. Thanks to the untiring efforts of a
small group of volunteers, the dream became a reality on 2 May
1993. To read more... CLICK
HERE. |
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Important
dates
A list of significant dates in the history
of Walmer and Deal. To see it... CLICK
HERE. |
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Jubilee
Mosaic
HM The Queen's Golden Jubilee Mosaic,
was created on Walmer Green in 2002 as an arts project by three
schools in Walmer parish together with local businesses and
residents. For the history of this community project in words
and photos... CLICK
HERE. |
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Local People's Reminiscences
Local residents' reminiscences and first-hand
accounts of significant past events as well as everyday life
in Walmer and Deal. New contributions are invited. To read more...
CLICK
HERE. |
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Nevill
Gardens
A brief history of the area around the
Nevill Gardens cul-de-sac at Upper Walmer compiled in September
2005 by local resident Mike Hirst.
To read more... CLICK
HERE. |
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Photo Album
Photographs and artists' impressions
of Walmer in years past. To open the album... CLICK
HERE. |
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Read
about Walmer and Deal
For a reading list, compiled with the
help of Kent County Council's Arts and Libraries Service...
CLICK
HERE. |
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Researching Family History
If you are hoping to trace records of
ancestors who may have lived in Walmer, WalmerWeb has
a whole page of advice and useful web links. CLICK
HERE. |
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The
Royal Marines
Walmer and Deal have a long and proud
association with the Royal Marines. To read about the area's
past military connections and the more recent conversion of
the former barracks into housing... CLICK
HERE. |
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Upper Walmer - a brief
history
The original old village of Walmer is
today's Upper Walmer. It developed around a Manor House, its
farm and the Old St Mary's Church, dating from the early 12th
century. By Victorian times the small agricultural community
had become a thriving village with a school, shops, inns, a
large brewery and a convent with a chapel. To read more... CLICK
HERE. |
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Upper
Walmer in the 1920s and 1930s
Mrs Audrey West was brought up in Walmer
in the 1920’s and '30s. Here she recalls her earliest memories
of Upper Walmer including local shops and businesses, the schools
and churches, the pubs and development of the Hawksdown estate.
For more... CLICK
HERE. |
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Walmer Aerodrome
The flat grassy plateau at Hawkshill
Freedown on the southern edge of Walmer parish was a World War
I aerodrome and has a memorial to the pilots who flew from there
and were killed fighting in France.
To read more... CLICK
HERE. |
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Walmer
Brewery
It seems likely that there was already
a small brewery at Upper Walmer and this was acquired in 1816
by Edmund Thompson and operated as Thompson & Sons. In 1867
John Matthews bought the business and greatly expanded it, although
he retained the Thompson name. To read more... CLICK
HERE. |
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Walmer Castle
Walmer Castle was built during the
reign of Henry VIII as part of a chain of coastal artillery
defences. It was the southernmost
of three forts on this section of the Kent coast guarding a
sheltered anchorage in the English Channel known as The Downs.
To read more... CLICK
HERE. |
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Walmer
in 1890
A detailed walking tour of Walmer Parish
in 1890 from the book “Records of Walmer” by Charles
R. S. Elvin. To read more... CLICK
HERE. |
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Walmer's Pubs
Walmer has, over the years, had well
over 30 local public houses. Today, most are but dim distant
memories. Here we draw together some of what is known about
the area's watering holes. More research is needed and your
contributions to improve the details is warmly invited. To read
more ... CLICK
HERE. |
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Walmer
Voluntary Aid Detachment
Generals Meadow and St Anselms, two houses
in Upper Walmer, played an important role in caring for injured
servicemen during the First World War. To read more... CLICK
HERE. |
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World War II
During Walmer and Deal's wartime role
in what became known as "Hell Fire Corner", it is
estimated 65 local people were killed by bombs or shells, 59
seriously injured and close on 200 slightly injured. Some 200
bombs and 100 shells fell on the town, resulting in destruction
or damage to nearly 5,000 properties. To read more ... CLICK
HERE. |
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