The Winterstoke Gardens, Sun Shelter and Chine
This unique and valued beautifully laid out park and gardens were lovingly tended and managed by a paid team of gardeners – from their opening in 1923 until 1974 when The Winterstoke Gardens (along with all open spaces) were taken into the authority of Thanet District Council, following the Local Government Act.
From 1974 until 6 years ago the Winterstoke Gardens, Sun Shelter and Chine fell into ever greater neglect and gained a reputation for crime, drugs and as a place to be climbed over – none of which was the intention when they were so beautifully created and planted in 1923.
In 1970 – the Ramsgate Conservation area was defined (including the Winterstoke Gardens and Chine).
In 1988 the Winterstoke Gardens, Sun Shelter and Chine were recognised for their beauty, design and Pulhamite by English Heritage and awarded Grade 2 status.
This is currently awaiting further upgrading to 2* status.
Who cares for them?
Since 2014, the care of the gardens has been undertaken entirely by volunteers.
First one, then two then a few more and now many years on, we have a regular 12-18 volunteers offering their time up to twice a week maintaining, cleaning, planting, weeding & even grass cutting.
Plants are provided by our own horticultral volunteers, home grown & plant donations , many are bought with money donated or awarded by grants or our own fund raising endeavours such as our 'Sponsored 12hr Slogathon' in July 2019 that raised an amazing £3250
So far our volunteers have put in 1000's of hours, to date well in excess of 10,000.
These accumulated volunteer hours will be used to apply for match funding when the time comes to apply for bids to undertake the restoration of the Sun Shelter and fountains’.
Want to help?
Our gardening sessions are on Wednesday mornings and alternate Saturdays 10am to 12.00 midday but check with us for actual dates & times.
Anyone can help, any age and there are many different roles regardless of experience.
Come join us and enjoy the social and therapeutic benefits of gardening and making a difference.
On land bequeathed by the Montefiore family, these Grade II listed Gardens and Sun Shelter were sponsored by Dame Janet Stancomb-Wills in 1920 and opened to the public in June 1923 at a cost of approximately £15,000 (£900,000 in today’s money).
The work was deliberately divided into 2 parts in order to give employment to local men over two winters. The Chine was added in 1936 to connect the East Cliff to the Winterstoke Undercliff.
Dame Janet Stancomb-Wills
Dame Janet Stancomb-Wills lived at East Court here on the East Cliff from 1911 to her death in 1932.
She was dubbed ‘The Clifftop Amazon’ for her charitable efforts around Ramsgate such as funding an elementary school, a maternity
ward, a nursing home, fire fighting equipment and an ambulance.
She was the first recipient of the Freedom of the Borough of Ramsgate in 1922 & became its first woman Mayor in 1923 and was appointed
Justice of the Peace for Kent in 1927.
Dame Janet was a friend and sponsor of Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-17 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition and the fitting out of his ship‘The Endurance’
In gratitude, he named a Glacier after her; also one of the ship’s lifeboats, on which the crew subsequently escaped to Elephant Island when the Endurance was crushed in the ice.
Winterstoke Gardens & Sun Shelter
The Gardens were designed by the noted architectural firm of Sir John Burnet & Partners who later joined forces with Dorman Long & Co in the design and construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge which opened in 1932.
The Gardens were constructed by James Pulham & Son from ‘Pulhamite’, a man-made rock consisting mainly of cement render over a rubble core, creating elaborate gardens recesses and pods. There are further examples of Pulhamite in Ramsgate at Albion Place Gardens, the Western Undercliff and the arches of the Royal Esplanade; and at Folkestone, Battersea Park and Waddesdon Manor amongst others.
Sir John’s original planting scheme included carefully selected trees and shrubs suitable for seaside conditions. A euonymus hedge was planted along the edges but removed in the 1930s.
The Sun Shelter is a semi-circular colonnade carved into the Pulhamite rock. It was partly glazed and housed 2 sculptures, since lost, by Gilbert Bayes, of 2 children playing with the ‘Ram’ of Ramsgate. Bayes also sculpted ‘Destiny’, the Peace Memorial in Albion Place Gardens.
Described at the opening ceremony as a ‘delightful beauty spot’, locals could gather to watch concerts in the 250 metre long Gardens, enjoy the views and appreciate the sensory gardens, originally intended to benefit recovering 1st World War veterans.