Facts about Deal
General Info
Deal is a town in Kent, England, which lies on the border of the North Sea and the English Channel, eight miles north-east of Dover and eight miles south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town. Close to Deal is Walmer, a possible location for Julius Caesar’s first arrival in Britain. In 1968, Middle Street was the first Conservation Area in Kent.
History
In 1672, a small Naval Yard was established at Deal, providing stores and minor repair facilities. Just outside the gates of the yard, there is now a building originally used as a semaphore tower planned to be used as a communication link to the Admiralty in London but converted to a time ball tower, in 1855 which remains today as a museum. The Deal Maritime and Local History Museum is housed in a historic complex of light-industrial buildings in St George’s Road, dating from 1803.
A naval storehouse was built in Deal in 1672, providing for ships anchored in the Downs. In time, the establishment grew to cover some five acres of land, to the north of the castle. There was also a Victualling Yard on site. In contrast to other naval yards, there was no place for ships to dock alongside at Deal, so instead a number of small supply boats were maintained at the yard; these would be launched from the shingle beach, carrying supplies, provisions, personnel or equipment as required.
