Popular UK seaside town gets major £120k boost as historic feature set to be restored

A popular UK seaside town has been given a major boost as a historic attraction is set to be restored. The local council has sucessfully identified £120,000 in funding to carry out "signicant works" to get the Grade II listed lift up and running again.

The Edwardian East Cliff lift, which was built in 1910, links the upper promenade and the main sands area of Ramsgate in Kent. The lift, located at Harbour Parade, has been out of action since 2021 but Thanet District Council (TDC) has put aside money to restore it in the 2026/27 draft budget. According to Historic England, the rare lift was one of only five left of its type open to the British public.

As reported by The Sun, TDC said the East Cliff lift requires "significant works" to get running again. The council's cabinet will consider the proposals on Tuesday, February 24.

Rick Everitt, leader of TDC (Labour), said restoring the lift was something the administration promised to deliver for the people of Ramsgate. However, no timeline has been confirmed yet for its restoration.

The lift previously stopped operations in the 1990s before being restored in 1999. There were once three similar lifts in Ramsgate but the Marina Lift was demolished in 1926 and the West Cliff lift was auctioned off last December.

The lifts are designed to give holidaymakers easy access to the beach from their hotels. Ramsgate remains popular among tourists, with the wider Isle of Thanet area, which includes Margate and Broadstairs as well as Ramsgate, welcoming over four million people every year.

Historic England said: "East Cliff or Harbour Lift was built in 1910, the second of three lifts in Ramsgate, but now the older of the two that survive. The earliest, the Marina Lift, which was built in 1908 further to the north on the East Cliff, was demolished after falling into disrepair. The West Cliff Lift was built in 1926: probably designed by Sir John Burnet and Partners, this is listed at Grade II.

"At the height of the Victorian and Edwardian fashion for the seaside there was great competition between resorts to offer the best amenities. One of these was a cliff railway or lift to provide quick and easy transit for holidaymakers between the town and its hotels or boarding houses and the beach. In addition to this, East Cliff Lift provided direct transport for passengers between the town and the station."

It added: "East Cliff Lift, built in 1910 is one of only five of this rare type of seaside structure which remain open to the public, and is of interest both locally and nationally as part of the history of the development of seaside resorts. Designed for display as well as function, it was prominently placed to draw customers from the town, beach and railway station."