In the final part of our series, NORMAN MILLER, leisurely crosses from Kent’s Royal harbour to the atmospheric Belgian resort of Ostend

RAMSGATE
Perched on Kent’s north-east tip, Britain’s only “Royal” harbour (an honour granted by George IV in 1821) sits at the heart of a town favoured later by Queen Victoria. Van Gogh, meanwhile, sketched harbour views during a spell teaching French here in the 1870s. The artist lived at 11 Spencer Square, just one Georgian enclave in a surprisingly good-looking town.

The town’s most famous house is The Grange on Saint Augustine’s Road, the home of 19th-century architectural genius Augustus Pugin. The Landmark Trust (01628 825 925/ www.landmarktrust.org.uk) offers various open days, or tours can be arranged on Wednesday afternoons (call 01843 596 401).

A sandy beach complements quayside bars and cafés by the harbour and within a few minutes walk you’ll also find two of Kent’s best restaurants, Age & Sons (01843 851 515/ www.ageandsons.co.uk) and Eddie Gilbert’s (01843 852 123/ www.eddiegilberts.com).

Stroll round the King George VI Memorial Park where the Italianate Greenhouse is a shrine to Georgian garden style.

STAY: The Royal Harbour Hotel (01843 591 514/www.royalharbourhotel.co.uk) offers doubles from
£98 per night (two sharing), B&B

INFORMATION: Visit Thanet (01843 577 577/www.visitthanet.co.uk)

THE FERRY
The four-hour crossing is operated by LD Lines (0844 576 8836/www.ldlines.co.uk) using two modern ferries. The
1,850-passenger Ostend Spirit offers a good choice of bars and restaurants and 80 en-suite cabins. The smaller Larkspur has a range of bars and cafés, plus a handful of cabins. Return fares from £98 (car plus two people), no foot passengers.

OSTEND
Founded in the 13th century, Ostend was transformed from fishing port to seaside resort when 19th-century Belgian royalty fell for its superb six miles of sandy beach. King Leopold I took a house on Langestraat, while Leopold II built several villas in the 1870s reputedly as illicit love nests. Ostend retains its working harbour charms, however.

Walk through the fi sh market on Visserskaai before trying freshly cooked fruits de mer at the surrounding food stalls.

Mussels, crab and young herring are favourites, though Ostend’s excellent restaurants also dish up sole à l’Ostendaise (sole with white wine sauce and shrimps) and tomate crevette (tomato filled with shrimps).

Try the Belle Epoque dining room at the historic Thermae Palace hotel (dialling from UK: 0032 5980 6644/www.thermaepalace.be) on the seafront.

Two landmarks help guide visitors: the twin spires of the neo-Gothic Church of St Peter and St Paul and the triplet of towering masks above the decks of the old exploration vessel Mercator, now a floating museum full of objects gathered on global wanderings.

The excellent Mu.ZEE art gallery on Romestraat is worth a visit for the building itself, a former department store in the style of Le Corbusier. Art lovers should also head for the historic seafront casino where frescoes by Paul Delvaux provide a beautiful distraction from the punters’ jousts with Lady Luck.

STAY: Art Deco B&B (43 4445/ www.artdeco-bed-and-breakfast.be) doubles from €90 per night (two sharing), B&B

INFORMATION: Visit Flanders (0207 307 7738/www.visitflanders.co.uk)