Abandoned Pegwell Bay SRN4 Hovercraft Hoverport
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2018
- Let's explore the #abandoned Pegwell Bay SRN4 #Hovercraft Hoverport 2018 #urbex Ramsgate UK. This opened in 1969 with great excitement and closed in 1982 after the world oil crisis made it uneconomic. #pegwellbay #snr4 Still holds the record for 22 minute flight to France.
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When I was young, men regularly went to the moon, planes flew twice the speed of sound, and you could ride to France on a giant hovercraft! progress eh!
I have the same thoughts ever so often. Now it's only silly apps for mobile phones and shit.
Who'd have thought that in 2020 it would be illegal to sit down at a cafe.
Aaah! Those were the days...global threats were nuclear war, another ice age, and a hole in the ozone layer....
Well the smartphone in itself is equally as impressive if you think about it...
@@russiandrivers9986 This is just plain stupid. Yeah, everything sucks right now for obvious reasons, but, what does it have to do with the video topic?
I’ve just borrowed my husband’s I pad to say this is so lovely, thank you! My grandparents, John and Anne Spark lived on Sandwich Road and my four sisters and I spent many of our holidays with them overlooking the sea. I used to watch Swift and Sure come and go from either the bedroom window or the top of the swing. From memory before the hoverport opened we were on the beach one day when a small prototype hovercraft came in. We have it on cine film somewhere we think! My Nana hosted some of the hovercraft attendants for bed and breakfast. She had a caravan in her garden and I think one actually stayed there! It was lovely to see the Viking cafe which is almost opposite their house - they were opposite the bus stop. I remember her darting across the road to buy me a fab lolly one day, walks to feed the geese and ducks on the way to the post office and lots more. I also remember seeing the red arrows practice above as they were based at Manston at the time. The other thing I remember about the hoverport was that there was a direct coach route from Nottingham and my sister and I were put on at one end and picked up at the other! The journey took all day! Sorry to ramble on but this brought back such nice memories! Thanks again! From Julianne.
Martin Smith great story,thanks,
This story sounds wonderful and thanks for sharing it
These are the best kinds of comments.
Thank you for sharing those memories x
brings back memories. rode on all of them between 74 and 2000. showed my son the remains of pegwell bay about 8 years ago. have 5 airfix kits still sitting here to build the fleet....
I grew up in Essex. While a student, I use to take my little MG to Ramsgate and catch the hovercraft to Calais and then drive to Paris in the late 70s. I loved the experience, thank you for the trip down the memory lane….
Dover also had a Hoverport with the giant SRN6 car carrying craft. It ceased in 2000. However Southsea has been operating passenger (not car carrying) hovercraft to the isle of Wight since 1965.
I meant SRN4!
Fascinating, yet sad, to see what has become of the Pegwell Bay Hoverport! I remember vividly "flying" Hoverlloyd, to and from Calais in 1970. It was a unique experience that felt thoroughly futuristic. The SRN4 was an awesome beast that, sadly, like Concorde, is now relegated to the museums and history books. I feel thoroughly privileged to have experienced such a remarkable form of transportation. Also, having spent some of my childhood in that region of Kent, I have fond memories of the Viking Ship, which was there years before the Hoverport.
I made the same journey in 1970 - in September. Fantastic crossing, although it was very rough going across. The return journey was like a mill pond and took about 30 minutes.
I remember going to Calais on “Sure” with the high school back in the mid 70’s. I often look at Google Earth and what’s left of this hoverport. It brings back great memories. I thought you might have gone down to the edge of the sea as the two white lined ramps still remain 😁
After watching your vid, I just had to come down and visit the site last week, it was very nostalgic to see the old hoverport as it stands today, and very sad.
Glad you enjoyed it!
1975 I was there with my mum and dad and some friends! We had a Morris Oxford and went on the "Swift" and "Sure" Hovercrafts. I was only 10 but can still remember the excitement and power of the crafts. Not been on one since! Great memories though! Thanks for doing the vid :-)
Oh wow!
My dad took me to France on a Hoverlloyd hovercraft just so we could say we did it
A lot of people did that. My family did!
Great video. I used to work on hovercrafts Hoverlloyd in 1978. Great place, great people and great memories. Shame they had to disappear.
My first trip abroad was from here.
A day trip to Calais as a 7 or 8 year old whilst we were on holiday in Herne Bay in the late 70’s .
Sad as I have very many happy memories of Pegwell vay hoverport. Amazing the the cross chanal ferries have outlived the hovercrafts.
You and me both!
I have fond memories of running across that footbridge stamping my feet, as it seemed to have a sound of it's own!!
Wow that’s an amazing memory. Thanks, For letting us all know.
I've lived in the area all of my life, and travelled to France on the hovercraft several times. The most memorable being in 1970 I think, going to Paris on a school holiday. The crossing was terrible, and most of us kids were sick as dogs. By the late 70s early 80s, a mate and I were frequently in the bay on our motorcross bikes and would ride out at low tide to greet the hovercraft, then race along side it back to the pad, much to the delight of passengers looking from the windows. Fond memories.
Thank you for your amazing memories I never got to go on one but it’s definitely on my bucket list I believe one of these is now in a museum and occasionally does go out to sea so maybe when the world has settled down I will be able to see and SRN4 - Paul
@@MRTRIPADVISOR The Hovercraft Museum has the last surviving SR-N4 but it is non-operational. The engines were bought by a superyacht owner (more accurately, I think the craft and engines were bought by a superyacht owner, but he only really wanted the engines which were the same as used on his yacht) so the craft has no engines. Even if the engines were still present, keeping such a huge machine in operational condition would be a colossal undertaking, especially as much of it is like maintaining an aircraft (such as propellers and gas turbine engines). The current condition is, I believe, best described as a little sorry, not least as the craft has had 19.5 years stored outdoors after going out of service, though I know there have been suggestions that it is to be better preserved and presented as a static exhibit.
That brings back memories. Had a holiday in Pegwell Bay as a child in the early 80s. I remember the viking longboat and watching the hovercraft arriving and departing at all hours of the day and night.
Thanks for posting this. I travelled from Pegwell Bay for the first time in 1978 on the Hoverlloyd Prince of Wales. I remember the sand snd salt spray as from the outgoing and ingoing flighs as they called them. Subsequent years on « Sir Christopher » and « Sure ». Fond memories of childhood that my father captured on super 8. Next time I am in the area will try and go this NT site
Thnak you so much for your memories. Paul
I miss the hovercraft x
Me too I loved the hovercraft ,but as a small boy I liked all things mechanical
Being a local we often used to go and watch the hovercraft come in and out. I went on it once in a gale force wind, i was coming home from a school holiday to France. My parents met me off the hovercraft and said i looked green i was so sick. My dad made me come home in the car with my head in a bucket, i stuck to the ferries out of Dover after that. As kids we used to go up on the white cliffs with a packed lunch and spend ages watching the ferries and running around. Happy Days
So sad to see this.Went to France on holiday every year .Travelled from Scotland and the excitement of seeing the roadsides for Ramsgate, indicated we weren't far away from the Hovercraft. Really happy memories from the 1970's.Remember 2 of the Hovercrafts- Prince of Wales and Swift
I was a bus driver for East Kent and remember picking up a passenger at the hoverport who had just got off the hovercraft. When asked what the trip was like he said it was full of school kids and everyone of them was sick. Never again he said.
Another instance was when a bait digger, we used to dig lungworm in the bay, was covered in muddy water when the craft came to close to him. He ended up in court as he threw a bucket of muddy water over the dignities holding some sort of ceremony when the craft landed. His defence was that pegwell Bay is huge and should have avoided going anywhere near him.
It's interesting to note that James bond.. Sean Connery bordered the hovercraft with his orange triumph stag after receiving his ticket from miss money penny in Diamonds are forever.
But never crossed the channel for the actual footage used in the film when the two craft passed each other. I was upstairs as a lookout and as I worked as a deckie it was also the only day I wasn’t sick or luckily hungover. Was just a teenager with a summer job and was told just lookout for small fishing boats. Was the only day I got to see the French coast as the passenger windows were always covered in spume. Edited as I forgot to say this was out of Dover.
Just brought back lots of lovely memories, seeing the viking ship, my nan lived in Ramsgate, we went on the hovercraft,in the early 70s,day trip to Calais! Thanks for the great video
Thanks for sharing
We used this very site 3 times between 1972 1973, shame its no longer, remember how quick they got the cars on and off.
I live in Cliffsend and regularly go down to the hoverport for a lunch time walk.
Went from pegwell with my wife and mum can't remember the year thank you great memories
Love the music lol
Thankyou so much for the great memories my parents took my sister and I every year as my mother wouldn't take to the skies. So we went to France then drove down to Spain, ok. First thing. You said you didn't know if the Viking ship had been there. At that time. The answer is yes. It's been there since I was a child. I'm 54 years old now. We went on them all they were named after the Royal family. I was watching a documentary on Boris Johnson. And low and behold. He was there. With our family right by him and his family. Its amazing who you meet in life and you just dont know. Great video mate. Made me smile. I live in Thailand now. I was showing my wife a Hovercraft for the first time. Ok mate take care. Happy days
We seem to be going backwards no Hovercraft no Concorde and in the 70,s you could fly from Heathrow to Manchester on a BEA trident faster than flying today no Helicopter service Between Heathrow and Gatwick..come on put these services back on Government backed
You forgot to mention 'No Flairs'!!!!!
That's so true. We have definitely gone backwards its ridiculous. the Hover craft was fantastic amazing machine
Brilliant.
Thanks for posting.
Amazing, thanks for filming. Nostalgic childhood memory from 1976 school trip. This even without the main building brings back memories of the area.
Amazing! Thank you for uploading this ........ almost brought a tear to the eye.
Our pleasure!
It was always about Dover and Folkestone (to a lesser extent) Pegwell Bay always took a back seat, much the same as now when these giant hovercraft are discussed re Cross Channel services.
This was a great facility and a good alternative to the others.
I have always lived not far away, fair enough the days and viability of these hovercraft was probably always going to be relatively shortlived, however locally we have also had Manston Airport,Ramsgate Port both now with very good road links direct "to the door" with good potential for alternative routes....all lost prob for ever.
Thank You fr a great nostalgic video, the noise of the craft coming and going can be clearly heard.
I visited Ramsgate in 1978 on a school trip from Düsseldorf. I've seen the Hovercraft in action and it was a great experience!
That sounded a very exciting trip ! - Paul
My fiancee and I celebrated our engagement in August 1972 when on holiday in Broadstairs by going from Pegwell Bay for a day trip to Calais on one of the SRN4s. I recall that both trips were very quick and one was a bit bumpy!
We hadn't been back that way until the Auntumn half-term of 2016, when we rented a house in Kingsdown for the week with our son and his family. We stopped off at Pegwell Bay on the way back from a day trip to Ramsgate and went right down to the water's edge on one of the slipways. It was a very warm day and there were flocks of birds of many different breeds feeding up before some migrated south for the winter. Lots of photos!
I used to go to Ramsgate for my holidays with my mum , uncle and my brother in the 60/70s and we used to go to Pegwell Bay to watch the Hovercrafts , my brother and I used to guesse the name of the hovercrafts before they came in , get times thank you so much
Used Dover Hoverspeed and Hoverloyd many times as a kid with Family. Made my young heart proud to be British. Exciting trips.
Same here!
Nice video and interesting 😊👍🏻
Thanks for watching
It's amazing to think what used to be there.
Sad it’s all gone
Still miss Hoverlloyd's service to this day.
Me to !
It is a shame that such a good technology ended in this way..
There's still a hovercraft between Southsea and Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
@TheRenaissanceman65 I belive Concord made money in the end! The rich did not mind the cost.
Good technology lol. The radar man sat behind a black curtain behind the pilot. The fuel pipes used to perforate and ignite. We dumped all the shit and bog roll mid channel. The skirts used to rip regularly. We used to, if we were really unlucky, go out in a force eight where the cars and vans, even though they were lashed down, used to get battered as they moved across the deck, into each other, the walls or ramp. The only thing I will say is that the safety training was fun the first time and it was reiterated every week....even if it was stupid time in the morning and blinking cold, stood out around the guard rail, clipped on telling the first officer where all the poxy fire extinguishers were. I was lucky though as I never got picked to do BA training. Oh and that technology stank so much I almost puked every trip. It’s cool now to have worked on something so iconic.
fantastic stuff, might have to take a walk over tomorrow as i'm local to it, great memories of getting the hovercraft very early 1970's with Mum and Dad in a force 7 gale.
been down a couple of times in the last week, still a few small remnants left, bits of brick walls and a few landing light bases on the ramps, well worth a visit
I never used ramsgate, but when I last looked around the terminal was still intact, mind you that was 1987 ! I used Dover frequently, because by the time I got to hover, it was hoverspeed, but I'm told even that is now something else.
Hoverspeed is long gone. The cross Channel hovercraft service ended in 2000 and Hoverspeed ceased all operations a few years later.
Lovely video - thank you. We will visit this interesting place in our motorhome. I miss the hovercraft! I wish someone would bring them back!
Glad you enjoyed it
Fascinated to see what it looks like now - I worked there in the early 70s and this brought back many memories
I went on the hovercraft at Pegwell Bay a couple of times. The first is when I was just 18 years old with 2 of my friends. We crossed then went to Paris by coach as an inclusive deal. That was in 1975. Find memories and it's sad to think that these beautiful machines have ceased to exist. Great video 👍. I've often wondered what became of the terminal at Pegwell Bay
The overgrown car park is almost in an archeological find state, in the sense it's only recognizable as part of a larger whole if you know about its history.
Yes remember this port went on hovercraft three times. It was so fun and fast Good days all gone
I used to live in Ramsgate and well remember seeing the SRN4s at Pegwell Bay.
I find it ironically that they made more money from selling duty free than from the fairs. Just shows how much profile there was in it.
my grandparents used to live on the Ramagate side of Broadstairs with a sea view . I loved watching these craft roaring out from Ramsgate. Just wonderful.
Thanks for the tour. I flew on the hovercraft in the early seventies and loved every minute of it. I remember that the terminal looked like an airport. I still have the brochures from the flights.
You are very lucky. I saw them going out and back from the cliffs but never went on one . One of them has ending up at a hovercraft museum and is still run occasionally so I hope to visit it there. Thanks for watching .
Yes my parents took me to France via there. I recall vomiting on board. Fond memories however and thanks for your very pleasant video
Glad you enjoyed it
Very interesting indeed..
Enjoyed that video. Never visited/used but felt I had!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I went on a hovercraft from here on October 3rd 1981. Only 3 weeks later it closed!
On the journey back from France, the weather was of Force 8, so it was a very uncomfortable crossing, taking one hour instead of the usual 40 minutes, as the Captain had to go slower!
I was on holiday at Broadstairs in July 1988, and was astonished to find it closed! The main buildings were still there, then.
What a tragedy that the hovercraft have gone - they STILL look futuristic today, just like the Concorde! You
lived in cliffsend and frequentley wandered down here mid 80's
Thanks for the video. Had it been me however I would certainly have gone over the footbridge, blocked-off or not.
It looks shaky 😎
Really interesting...thanks...
You're welcome
I was 7 years old me and my family mum/ dad/ brother/ and sister. drove over to Hungary in 1972 I can remember these hovercrafts very well I think SWIFT/SURE / ST CHRISTOPHER they are the ones I saw I do believe there was one more called prince of Wales. the craft that we travelled on was I think {SURE} and back on the ST CHRISTOPHER couldn't see much out of the windows to much spray splashing on them the vehicle was a 1972 L reg orange hillman avenger so thats it folks. shame to see the old hoverport empty and derelict.
We made a family trip to Pegwell Bay whilst on holiday in Ramsgate so I could see the hovercraft. I don't think I strayed very far from the cafeteria which afforded quite good views of the site, I seem to remember.
I used to watch the hover craft cone and go by the fence on the side great fun back then
Come and go
The Hoverport was used as an Operations Centre for Kent Police during the Miners Strike. A sad thing really that its last major use was that.
I was there at that time-we (Kent Police ) had to "look after " the Kent pits namely Snowdon.Betteshanger and Tilmanstone when all other forces had to deploy manpower up to Orgreave etc,
I remember coming here as a child aged 8 to see hover port with my parents and had spaghetti bologaise in the main building. We always went from Dover to Calais on Ferry but came here to see state of art Hovercraft. I am 55 now so a long time ago
Interesting piece of history.... sad it doesn't get used even for tourist or novelty any longer.
I remember watching the Hovercrafts departing from Pegwell Bay for maintenance and flying back to Dover from our flat in St Margaret's Bay...I visited the Hoverport's lobby in Pegwell Bay in 1983....it already had ceased operations. But you could still buy tickets. There were also some trolleys outside that, sadly, no longer served passengers....
Very surreal, dad used to take us here in the 70’s when we were kids to watch the SRN4’s going back and fourth. The Viking ship was there then too, good times !
I remember there was an observation platform on the roof. I think it cost 30p or similar.
There was a turnstile in the main building, 10p or 20p to go upstairs to a viewing area to get the best view of the hoverpad.
I never went from Pegwell bay , but did go to France on Seaspeed from Dover . I can remember it being noisy and a bit bumpy and not being able to see much due to the spray , but it was preferable as it was much quicker than the Ferry ( about 35 minutes ) . From what I can remember I think when Hoverloyd ceased operations here there was a merger with Seaspeed to form Hoverspeed and operated from Dover , but it wasn't for long before that stopped too .
Thank you for your memories and comment - Paul
Hi there my name is James ,I remember going here in either late 1970s or early 1980s ,as my dad has a friend called Derek who lives in Ramsgate ,Derek used to run a hotel in the town and was a professional chef. I remember going on the hovercraft as a child ,I cannot remember if we went to France in it or it was a trip round the coast
Probaly France. Dont recall costal trips being.offered.
I imagine they must have used a lot of fuel, but in comparison to a ferry would it have been more uneconomical? Also something very sad about this film, seeing remnants of good times long since gone.
Also not suitable for very rough sea. However no piers were required and they were more than twice as fast.
something like 600-700 gallons of kerosene an hour at full speed, with 14,000 hp on tap. a bristol/rolls royce proteus gas turbine uses ~160GPH at service power so that X4. concorde in comparison guzzles over 5000 gallons of kerosene an hour. with fuel consumption being relatively constant with the engines running, ground and taxying fuel consumption was a major concern.
It's like Aérotrain "Bertin" in France... At the same time...
Viaje en ellos en octubre de 1979, muy lindo recuerdo
I only took the hovercraft once. I was visiting from Canada and wanted to try it out. I was a passenger without a car. I can't actually remember how I got to the terminal but I think it was a direct bus from the downtown London Lloyds office. I recall the ride was quite rough and very noisy.
Thanks for your memories, i remember not being able to see much out of teh window because of the spray !
Yep, noise, spray and sometimes vety rough. All part of the fun!
I did a Hoverloyd trip in 1970s , a day trip with the school to Calais
No stranger to Pegwell bay, my grandfather had two caravans at. Ramsgate, we used to have our summer (only) holiday there, played on the beach before the hoverport was built, then come forward to 1975 and a school trip to France via Pegwell bay and Hover Lloyd , I had a seat close to the front (port bow), it was a choppy crossing with a fare bit of spray, it was great, somewhat more noisy than the ferry we came back on but a cherished memory that can't be repeated, although the Airfix model is long gone I still have the box for the SRN4, happy days.
Thanks for your memories
5:55 And try to save the last passenger hovercraft in portsmouth (Which will probably stop running sometime)
It's very sad this hoverport closed because it closed way too soon.
❤❤❤❤❤
1:55 "Carry On Across The Chanel'.... Phwoar hahahaha...
I last looked in here in the early ninetees, can't believe it's still derelict.
A sad end for an exciting idea like Concorde really
Better derelict than an asda or full of horrible LEDs......
Done the return trip in Sept 1979.I was 19 and was visiting my parents,Friends hotel in Fort Crescent Margate opposite the
Sorry.Winter Gardens.What an amazing journey.Something a generation will never get to do.I am 60 now,lol.Where did those years go.
Wow the winter gardens......that’s an age ago. Wasn’t there a nightclub on the top of the cliff road....omg was so young then lol.
The present times suck, all good things have already been taken away by the boomers. I am 19, never got to fly in the Concorde, never rode on a big Hovercraft or have attended a world fair. This really sucks.
Wonder if we could convince someone like Richard Branson or Elon Musk to come up with a modern version of the hovercraft and open it back up again.
When the UK had style.
So, we are all interested in the video, and then right at the end some idiot crashes adverts all over the screen,
Its how we fund our company that has 12 channels. Thanks for watching
Another thing. So typically British!! Who said the Poms are slow!!
Money money money what a waste of a great vessels, This country, our England is a joke
well it's the money , money, money that allowed the creation of the Hovercraft in the 1st place. Hovercraft where created and run for economic benefit without that they never would off existed.