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Historic Towns & Picturesque Villages

After the Service

Acton Burnell

in the county of Shropshire

Dinosaur egg beach at the end of the Cot Valley near St Just, Cornwall

St Just

in the county of Cornwall

Pictures of Deal

a Seaside Town in the county of Kent

About Deal

He came, He saw, He conquered, is NOT true of Julius Ceasar. When Ceasar landed on our island shores close to Deal in 55BC the British very quickly saw him gone. None-the-less, a plaque proclaiming this invasion is sited in Marine Road, a short way from Deal Castle.

Deal Castle was built in 1540 by HenryVIII and was once the residence of the Captain of the Cinque Ports. This castle was beautifully built in the perfect shape of the Tudor Rose and today remains an exceptionally strong looking fortress. The ruins of Deal's other castle, Sandown, of which only a couple of butresses have remained for centuries can be seen at the northern end of the town. Standing here looking at the sea, one can imagine the howling gales that have battered against the cliffs to which these ruins cling.

There is a lovely museum displaying much of the maritime history of this great coastline. You can see fine examples of the 'deal boats' specially designed for launching from a 'shingle' beach. These boats plied the water carrying passengers out to other sailing vessels for journeys to far distant places, or just to the Thames estuary.

Just as a boat had to be especially designed to manouver the shingle beach, it was the shingle that saved Deal from becoming just another seaside resort. For there is no sand here to attract the families that countless resorts had opened up to in the development era of Victorian times. There is nothing to connect the front of Deal with the Victorians and this has proved to be a blessing for Deal remains as sedate today as it must have been a couple of centuries ago. The shingle beach is sloping and is not ideal for children but adults can swim in comparative safety close inshore. Rescue boats patrol throughout the day in high summer. There is a hugh pier which was built in the 1950's and is much used for sun bathing and by anglers.

Of interest is the Time Bell Tower, this is sited on the sea-front and was built in 1854. This provided Greenwhich Mean Time to passing ships by dropping a black ball down a shaft from the top of the tower at precisely 1 p.m. each day. In 1927, when most ships were fitted with a wireless, the time ball stopped working.

These days, Deal provides an interesting time for visitors. It is situate on a pleasant and historic stretch of England's coast and has a couple of very fine golf courses nearby which include the Royal St. George's at Sandwich. There are lovely walks over the downs, some fine shops and a wide selection of good eating places. Travel towards Dover and you will find the South Foreland Lighthouse, owned by the National Trust and Pines Garden overlooks St. Margarets Bay. In the opposite direction, towards Ramsgate, the Viking Ship 'Hugin' is situate in Pegwell Bay. This is a coastline of towering cliffs and magnificent sea views, the whole area is rich in history and well worth a visit.

Recommended towns & villages near Deal

A picture of Ramsgate

Ramsgate (56 Pictures) a Seaside Town in the county of Kent

(7.7 miles, 12.4 km, direction N of Deal)

Ramsgate's harbour is constantly busy, this is known as a "Royal" harbour, made so by the landing here of King George IV in 1822...

Dover

Dover (181 Pictures) a Seaside Town in the county of Kent

(7.9 miles, 12.8 km, direction SW of Deal)

The white cliffs of Dover, the view that has stirred the hearts of English travellers for centuries...

A snowy Broadstairs Harbour, Kent

Broadstairs (78 Pictures) a Seaside Town in the county of Kent

(9.4 miles, 15.1 km, direction N of Deal)

At almost every corner of this popular resort are reminders of the towns association with the famous novelist, Charles Dickens...

Margate in the evening light. Kent. April 2006

Margate (52 Pictures) a Seaside Town in the county of Kent

(11.4 miles, 18.3 km, direction N of Deal)

Traditional seaside resort which is famous for the invention of the covered bathing machine...

Cathedral of Canterbury

Canterbury (346 Pictures) a Historic City in the county of Kent

(14.4 miles, 23.2 km, direction W of Deal)

Canterbury is an exquisite joyous place, it is submerged in history and is considered to be the birthplace of English Christianity. It glows with an abundance of charm, mostly.....

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Nearby attractions..

Walmer Castle

Walmer Castle & Garden (81 Pictures)

(1.7 miles, 2.7 km, direction S)

The stone walls of Walmer Castle were put up in the 1530's at the same time as Sandown and Deal as part of a plan by the monarch.....

Dover Castle, Kent

Dover Castle (147 Pictures)

(7.3 miles, 11.7 km, direction S)

Dover Castle is a medieval castle that was founded in the 11th century and is the largest castle in England, often being.....

Goodnestone Park in early summer

Goodnestone Park Gardens (39 Pictures)

(7.6 miles, 12.2 km, direction W)

..

Crabble Corn Mill, Dover

Crabble Corn Mill (4 Pictures)

(7.6 miles, 12.3 km, direction SW)

The current mill, built in 1812, is situated in the picturesque village of River, on the outskirts of Dover. There have been.....

Western Heights Defences in Dover, Kent. - Drop Redoubt Fort - Open 3rd/4th June 2006

Western Heights Defences (2 Pictures)

(8.5 miles, 13.7 km, direction SW)

The Western Heights in Dover are remains of fortifications built mainly during the Napoleonic Wars when England was under a real.....

A picture of Bleak House

Bleak House (6 Pictures)

(9.5 miles, 15.3 km, direction N)

Bleak House, named after the novel is where Charles Dickens lived while he was writing David Copperfield and other of his works......

A picture of Samphire Hoe

Samphire Hoe (11 Pictures)

(9.7 miles, 15.7 km, direction SW)

The newest part of Kent, made from 4.9 million cubic metres of chalk marl dug to create the Channel Tunnel. Samphire Hoe was.....


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