Arts Barge, Ramsgate Royal Harbour

Above: Existing Arts Barge

During 2021, we assisted Ramsgate Arts Barge CIC in obtaining planning permission for a permanent mooring of their 130-year old Dutch barge within Ramsgate’s Royal Harbour. The historic barge was to be developed as a creative events venue with restaurant and bar.

The project aims were to restore the boat to sea worthiness and with safe access open to all from land to boat. The Ramsgate Arts Barge CIC had a strong cultural and educational ethos which aimed to create an events space and studios that were to be supplemented by a commercial restaurant and bar with a top deck garden for seasonal use and below deck with a cavernous events space featuring dramatic top lighting intended for diverse purposes such as exhibitions, performances, artist studios and public gatherings. We developed a broad range of options to develop a visually interesting, compliant and viable layout.

In 2021, we obtained planning permission for the 130-year-old barge to establish a permanent mooring in Ramsgate’s Royal Harbour. Currently this project is on hold indefinitely.

Historic Background: Originally known as the "Vriedschap," which translates to "friendship" in Dutch, the 50-meter, 200-ton former cargo barge served for 80 years on Holland's waterways under three generations of the Van der Veen family. In the early 1990s, it made its way to the UK for residential use. It was initially intended to be converted into a community centre in Barking, the vessel faced rejection for mooring and the threat of being scrapped by the Port of London Authority (PLA).