[Hoverports page]

This hoverport, the pad of which is still intact at Ramsgate with the approach markings and car park outlines still visible, was the home to four SRN4 Mk II craft owned by Hoverlloyd between 1968 and 1987 prior to its shutdown resulting from the merger of Seaspeed with Hoverlloyd to form HoverSpeed. The ramp had terminal buildings and an access road coming from just north of Cliff's End on the A256 Sandwich Road. The access road still exists today but is blocked off to traffic by a barrier. The pad is accessible on foot, however, from the road or from the nearby beaches. Hoverlloyd was a Swedish company jointly owned by Swedish Lloyd and the Swedish American Line [Hovercraft Museum, 2007]

See also: SRN4s operating from Pegwell Bay Hoverport

Photo: Pegwell Bay hoverport in full swing back in the 1970's (FotoFlite in Cowsill & Hendy, 1991). The hoverport was opened on 2nd May, 1969 by the Duke of Edinburgh [Cowsill & Hendy, 1991].

Flickr user EZTD took the following photos of Ramsgate hoverport and its terminal buildings in 1992, standing derelict but mostly complete after its closure 5 years earlier (Ramsgate Photoset | EZTD's Photostream).

You can still see the outlines of the terminal buildings from the interactive Google map below. Also note the two hovercraft outlines to the left of the pad, corresponding to the maintenance areas where craft were lifted above the ground by five hydraulic jacks for regular skirt inspection.

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You can also see the hoverport as it is today in much greater detail on Windows Live Maps' oblique aerial photograph views. Rotate the image around or zoom in and out as necessary.