Walmer

History

Julius Caesar reputedly landed on the beach here in 55 BC and 54 BC. It is only one possible landing place, proposed judging from the distances given in his account of the landings in his Gallic Wars. In the 19th century it was thought that he had landed by Deal Castle – hence a house there with SPQR emblazoned on its gate – but in 1907 the landing point has been proposed to be further south, beyond the lifeboat station, and marked by a concrete memorial. However, new archaeological excavations performed since 2015 suggest instead that the landing occurred at Ebbsfleet, at the head of Pegwell Bay, in Thanet, further north along the Kent coast. The coastal confederation of Cinque Ports during its mediæval period consisted of a confederation of 42 towns and villages in all. This includes Walmer, as a 'Limb' of Sandwich, Kent. Walmer Castle and its formal gardens are an attraction for visitors. The official residence of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports since the 18th Century, the building is now an English Heritage property. Famous Lords Warden have included Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Sir Winston Churchill, William Pitt the Younger first created the gardens), and the Duke of Wellington The others were nearby at Deal (southern Deal) and Sandown (north Deal) - the Deal one survives, the Sandown one has been lost to coastal erosion. Walmer Aerodrome was a First World War airfield established by the Royal Naval Air Service in 1917 on Hawkshill Down near Walmer, Kent. Its primary role was to provide air defence during both World Wars. The station operated fighter aircraft including Sopwith Camels during the First World War, and accommodated both British and Allied pilots. Brewing in Walmer is thought to date back to at least the Tudor period, but the best-known…

Most-observed species

• Herring Gull

  Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763 · Aves
  9,699
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  9,624
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  8,848
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,350
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,030
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  7,994
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,027
• Black-headed Gull

  Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  6,873

Most recent

• M 3.7 — 2015-05-22
  3 km SSE of Ramsgate, United Kingdom
• M 3.5 — 2009-03-03
  1 km ENE of Hawkinge, United Kingdom
• M 2.7 — 2008-11-26
  France
• M 2.7 — 2008-08-08
  27 km ESE of Felixstowe, United Kingdom
• M 4.6 — 2007-04-28
  1 km WNW of Lympne, United Kingdom
• M 2.6 — 2007-03-02
  46 km NE of Broadstairs, United Kingdom