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The Clock House

Information on the restoration project for the Clock House in Ramsgate

The UK Government is providing more than £22 million to fund the Ramsgate regeneration projects.

This money combines three previous funds: the Future High Streets Fund, Town Deal, and Levelling Up Fund. Together, these are now called the Local Regeneration Fund.

This fund pays for major building and improvement works across the district. The goal is to bring new life to Ramsgate and help its economy grow over the long term. This funding will be available until 2028.

This project will transform and improve Ramsgate Royal Harbour. It will bring new life to the Grade II* listed building, creating a modern space for historical exhibitions while protecting the special maritime (seafaring) history of Ramsgate.

The work will protect the museum’s current collections and create lively public spaces for both locals and visitors.

The project will:

Carefully restore the Grade II* Listed building.
Create modern exhibition spaces.
Demolish and remove the existing containers next to the Clock House.
Build a new café extension next to the Clock House.

This project goes beyond simple restoration; it transforms a much-loved building into a destination. By creating a modern environment, we are providing residents with a vibrant new hub for cultural life. The building work for the restoration and extension officially started in August 2025. Willmott Dixon Construction is carrying out the work to bring the Clock House and Café to life.
Once construction is complete later this year, this beloved building will officially re-open its doors to the public! While the full museum experience is still being perfected, we are currently working with the expert consultants at Hayley Sharpe to reimagine how we share Ramsgate’s unique history.

Proposed plans showing the ground and first floor for the refurbished Clock House and new café

An image showing the proposed floor plans for the refurbished Clock House and new cafe.

Proposed elevation drawings showing the exterior of the refurbished Clock House and new café

An image showing the proposed elevations for the refurbished Clock House and new cafe building.

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Curl la Tourelle Head Architects created the first designs to refurbish and extend the Clock House in Ramsgate Royal Harbour. Purcell Architects then finished the design work.

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You can find images of the construction in our image gallery:

A close-up looking up at the historic stone clock tower under a grey sky. It features a bell cupola at the top, two clock faces with Roman numerals, and a green lightning conductor wire running down its side.

Interior view showing construction workers in high-visibility gear standing under an exposed wooden ceiling with new metal cable trays, temporary lights, and large arched windows.

An interior stone wall undergoing renovation inside the Clock House, with a doorway on the left and a worker partially visible in the background.

Looking up at an exposed wooden ceiling inside the Clock House, showing old wooden joists with faded historical writing on them, illuminated by a temporary construction light.

Interior view of a stripped-back room with exposed ceiling joists, bare walls, and temporary lighting. Several large white rubble sacks sit in the center of the floor near the windows, and a red mobile fire safety point stands on the left.

An exterior shot of the historic Clock House from across a parking lot under an overcast sky. The site is surrounded by construction fencing, with an elevated red cherry picker and a yellow excavator positioned next to the building.

Interior view showing exposed wooden ceiling joists reinforced with modern steel beams, above a stone wall with large arched windows. A construction worker in a blue hard hat is partially visible in the bottom left.

The Ramsgate Clock House covered in scaffolding, viewed across the harbour with several boats moored in the foreground and the building's reflection in the water.

Two people in hard hats and high-visibility jackets standing inside the Clock House during renovations, with exposed ceiling beams and large arched windows behind them.

A group of ten people wearing hard hats and high-visibility jackets smiling for a photo inside the building. They are standing on a floor covered in protective white boarding, in front of a distressed stone wall and a large, multi-paned wooden window frame.

A group of construction workers in hard hats and high-visibility jackets standing outside the scaffolded Clock House, with metal poles stacked on the ground in the foreground.

Looking up at the exposed wooden ceiling structure inside the Clock House, showing historic floor joists with faded handwritten dates and text, alongside modern temporary lighting.

An interior room during renovations, showing exposed ceiling joists and large arched windows. Several people in hard hats and high-visibility vests are standing in small groups talking, with a red mobile safety hub visible on the left and a yellow caution cover over a hole in the floor.

Close-up of a hollow, stripped-out fireplace opening containing broken rubble, set into a bare, unfinished wall above exposed wooden floorboards.

Looking from the inside of a dark, unfinished room out through a large, arched wooden window. Scaffolding and a neighboring building are faintly visible through the dusty glass.

Close-up of the exposed, dark timber roof trusses and beams inside the building. Faint historical handwriting is visible carved into a central wooden post, alongside modern temporary string lighting.

An upper-level room with exposed wooden floorboards and a dark timber-framed roof. Four people in hard hats and high-visibility vests are walking through the space, inspecting the area.

Three people in hard hats and high-visibility vests stand conversing inside a large, stripped-back room. The space has exposed ceiling joists, bare walls with peeling paint, arched windows, and a central wooden support pillar.

Exterior of the historic stone Clock House building under a clear blue sky. Signs above the entrance read 'Local History & Maritime Museum' and 'Ramsgate Mean Time is 5 Mins 41 Secs faster than this Clock'. Metal construction fencing and a yellow safety cabinet sit in front, with two workers in high-visibility gear walking on the right.

An exterior view of the Clock House and Ramsgate harbour from a nearby car park on an overcast day. Yellow construction hoarding surrounds the building's base, with a red cherry picker visible behind it, and several parked cars in the foreground.

Three people in hard hats and high-visibility gear inspecting an unfinished room. The floor is covered in taped protective sheeting, and temporary lights hang from the exposed ceiling joists. One worker is pointing at the bare, distressed plaster wall on the right.

Two construction workers in hard hats and high-visibility jackets standing on roof-level scaffolding, inspecting the slate roof and the historic stone clock tower.

A construction worker in a hard hat and orange high-visibility vest stands inside a stripped room, handling a white rubble sack. The room has exposed ceiling joists, bare plaster walls, and a white fire exit door.

A distressed interior wall with peeling yellow and blue paint, featuring a large arched wooden window in the center. Some of the window panes are boarded up with wood, and the ceiling above has exposed wooden joists.

An interior floor under construction, featuring a large, deep rectangular trench opened up in the ground. Temporary wooden planks lie across the gap, surrounded by metal scaffolding guardrails. A worker in high-visibility gear stands to the right.

Close-up of the exposed wooden ceiling structure inside the Clock House, showing historic floor joists with faded handwritten dates and script, alongside a modern red steel support beam and temporary wiring.

A group of four people in hard hats and high-visibility jackets gathered together in a stripped-back room, reviewing documents. Another worker walks away down a corridor toward a green fire exit sign in the background.

Close-up of a newly rendered, curved stone archway above a wooden window frame inside the Clock House, highlighting the texture of the restored masonry work.

Close-up of an interior corner showing thick stone block walls meeting a dark, exposed timber roof structure. There are visible cracks in the stonework, faint blue construction markings, and a black pipe running vertically down the wall.

Close-up of a historic white wooden window frame. The glass panes are taped and boarded up with wood from the inside, set into a wall with peeling yellow paint and exposed underlying plaster.

A stripped-back interior room with bare stone walls and a large, old multi-paned wooden window. A bright red mobile fire safety and first aid point stands in the center of the dusty wooden floor.

Close-up of a blocked-in rectangular alcove or former doorway in a bare interior wall. The wall shows layers of scraped plaster and peeling paint, with exposed wooden floorboards at the base.

An upper-level room with an exposed timber roof and a sturdy historic wooden door in the center. A red mobile fire safety point is on the left, and a construction worker in an orange Willmott Dixon high-visibility vest stands on the right.

Interior view of a renovation space with exposed ceiling joists and temporary lights. The room features a wooden staircase on the left, tall historic wooden doors in the center, and two arched windows on the right next to a fire safety point.

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Full details are on the Planning portal using reference; L/TH/25/0206 and F/TH/25/0207

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The council will soon start looking for an experienced operator to manage the new space.

We will work with a specialist agent to advertise this opportunity starting in early 2026. Our goal is to officially appoint a partner by Summer 2026.

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In early 2026, the council met to discuss how the Museum should be managed.

We have agreed in principle (made a general agreement) that the council will run the space, but we still need to make a final, formal decision.
We expect to officially confirm everything by Summer 2026.

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The building’s restoration will be finished before the museum displays are ready. Because of this, we will open the areas early as “meanwhile spaces” (temporary spaces) for heritage activities.

Doing this gives us time to work with museum design experts to create a museum that Ramsgate can be proud of. It also gives us time to raise money for artefact conservation (protecting and repairing historical objects) and modern, interactive ways to tell the history.

Most importantly, this plan allows people to access and enjoy the beautifully restored building right away.

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As we repair the building, we are also rethinking what the Clock House Museum can offer.

We want the new galleries to be exciting and modern, so we have partnered with the museum experts at Haley Sharpe.

To make sure the new museum honours Ramsgate’s seafaring history, we’ve been working closely with our community to shape the future of the Clock House.

In early 2026, we collected feedback from:

Local residents
Heritage groups
Community organisations
Local schools

Using this valuable input, we have developed a story for the gallery spaces. This combines our historic artefact collection, Thanet’s maritime history and our community’s hopes & wishes. This will guide and inform people as they explore the building.

We have tested two design concepts, chosen a preferred one, and defined the core themes for our exhibits. This plan gives us the foundation we need to begin fundraising to complete the museum’s internal space.

Ground floor – Gallery 1 concept

First Floor – Gallery 2 concept

Upcoming engagement sessions

The next step is to create a detailed Activity Plan. To make sure this plan truly reflects what our community and visitors want to see, we are hosting community engagement sessions:

Sessions will be at the following places:

Pier Yard, Royal Harbour Approach on Friday 24 July, from 11.30am to 3.30pm
Ramsgate Carnival and Fair, Government Acre on Saturday 25 July, from 10am to 3pm

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The Clock House

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Proposed plans showing the ground and first floor for the refurbished Clock House and new café

Proposed elevation drawings showing the exterior of the refurbished Clock House and new café

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Where can I find the full plans for the Clock House and Cafe extension?

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Are there any conceptual plans for how the museum will look?

Ground floor – Gallery 1 concept

First Floor – Gallery 2 concept

Upcoming engagement sessions

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