Royal Sea Bathing Hospital

The Royal Sea Bathing Hospital is a building with yellow brick walls and stone trim in Margate, originally built to treat patients through sea water therapies. The structure features wide verandas along its outer walls and contains indoor salt-water pools fed from the sea.

The building was founded in 1791 by Dr. John Coakley Lettsom as a place to treat patients using sea water cures. A chapel was added around 1882, showing how these kinds of facilities became more established during the Victorian era.

The chapel inside displays stained glass windows by Clayton and Bell from the 1880s, showing the religious artistry of the Victorian period. These works represent the kind of craftsmanship that was valued in healing institutions of that era.

The building now contains residential apartments and is not open to the public, but you can view it from outside and appreciate its architecture. Being located on Margate's coast makes it easy to reach and offers good views of the surrounding area.

A statue of Dr. Sir Erasmus Wilson stands in the front garden on a granite base, yet many visitors walk past without noticing it. This monument honors his contributions to the development of sea cure treatments and 19th century medicine.

Location: Thanet

GPS coordinates: 51.38533,1.36610

Latest update: December 11, 2025 18:05