Ramsgate Woolworths – Store 72

12a/14 High Street, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 9AF

Woolworths opened their 72nd store by the Kent seaside on Ramsgate High Street in 1916. Ramsgate store is unique as it is a rare example of an early purpose-built branch that still survives today. New stores were built from 1913 by in-house architects North & Robin, who continued to design Woolworths’ stores until c.1919.

 

Ramsgate Woolworths 1930s

Source: Historic England Archive

Ramsgate store was was built on the site of the Bull and George Hotel which was badly damaged in WW1 (you can see photos of the hotel and a surviving wall in the stock room here).

The store was later extended to the left – you can see in the above photo where the extension starts, above the ‘OO’ of ‘WOOLWORTH’. It remained the same from the outside, and finally closed when the chain went bust in December 2008.

Ramsgate Woolworths 2008

Source: Mike’s Photography

After Woolworths closed, the building was taken over by the 99p store, which more recently became Poundland.

Source: Thanetonline

If you are ever visiting Ramsgate, do take a minute to take in some original Woolworths architecture.

Ramsgate Former Woolworths – Poundland

Source: Historic England Archive

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If you are looking for Store 71 and 73, they have already been written:

Store 71 – Sutton
Store 73 – Brighton