. Largely residential, its coastline and castle attract many visitors. It has a
Population of 6,693 (
2001 ).
Walmer is closely associated with its adjoining neighbour, the town of
Deal - sharing many amenities and services and benefiting from Deal's High Street shopping area. Deal has one of the south-east's few remaining
Piers .
Two inflatable lifeboats are stationed in Walmer.
. It was in the 19th century thought that he landed by
Deal Castle - hence a house there with
SPQR emblazoned on its gate - but the landing-point is now put half a mile further south, beyond the lifeboat station, and marked by a concrete memorial.
See Also: Walmer Castle
Walmer Castle and its beautiful formal gardens are a major attraction for visitors. The official residence of
Lord Warden Of The Cinque Ports since the 18th Century, the building is now an
English Heritage property.
Famous Lord Wardens have included
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , Sir
Winston Churchill ,
William Pitt The Younger (whose niece
Lady Hester Stanhope first created the gardens), and
The Duke Of Wellington (of the
Battle Of Waterloo fame). Wellington lived there for 23 years and the castle houses not only a collection of Wellington memorabilia but also the room in which he died.
The Castle was built in
1540 as one of three on this part of the Kent coast by orders of
Henry VIII . The others were nearby at
Deal (southern Deal) and Sandown (north Deal) - the Deal one survives, the Sandown one has been lost to coastal erosion.
