Once a small settlement on the edge of the English Channel, Walmer has existed for over two thousand years, with its long history witness to numerous major events. As one of the closest areas to the continent, Walmer has been at the forefront of attempted invasions throughout its existence, from the Roman Landings to the nefarious plans of the Third Reich. Walmer as part of the south-eastern coast has been ripe for conquest.

However, even the expanse of the English Channel was not always successful in preventing invasions and on August 27th 55 BC, Julius Caesar and his legions were originally believed to have landed at Walmer. Heavy channel storms had damaged many of his ships, and he had lost both soldiers and supplies resulting in the planned invasion being little more than a reconnaissance mission lasting a few weeks. He would return one year later landing a few miles north, due almost certainly to the tides and suitable landing places for his vessel. But it would be another 88 years before Emperor Claudius would command his legions to enter Britain and force it to become a part of the Roman Empire.

What would become the original village of Walmer on what is now considered as Upper Walmer, grew up around an estate established after the French invasion of 1066. Old St. Mary’s Church (circa 1120 AD) and cottages for workers and tradesmen soon followed and by Victorian times this small agricultural community, had become a thriving village. Over the centuries Lower Walmer, due to the proximity of the sea, the newly built Walmer Castle and later the Royal Marine barracks also became a prosperous and flourishing area.

When France and the Holy Roman Empire became allies in 1538, Henry VIII knew that England was under threat from the combined might of Europe's foremost military powers. To counter that threat Henry built ‘The Three Castles to Keep the Downs’ at Deal, Sandown and Walmer at a cost of almost £22 million pounds in current day money. Walmer Castle itself would be built between 1539 and 1540, is the most southerly of the three and along with the others guaranteed a safe anchorage for ships within the Downs Anchorage during the16th, 17th,18th and 19th centuries. Its ten powerful guns trained on the channel, ensuring that enemy ships, pirates and smugglers thought twice about entering their range.

Walmer Castle would become the seat for the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports for the last three hundred years, the initial Lord Warden would be Lionel Sackville, 1^st Duke of Dorset who upon deciding that Dover Castle was unsatisfactory would move the seat to Walmer Castle. The position would also include luminaries such as William Pitt the Younger, the then Prince George, later King George V, Sir Winston Churchill and probably most famous of all, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

As such the castle currently houses a collection of memorabilia to several of these wardens, the largest of which belonged to the Duke of Wellington (of the Battle of Waterloo and the defeat of Napoleon fame). He lived at the Castle for 23 years as Lord Warden until his death in 1852. In addition, the apartment rooms once belonging to the Queen Mother have also been opened up for viewing. Once the military ended their use of the castle in the 19th century, the Castle opened its doors to the public to allow them access to the beautiful formal gardens.

Walmer has a long history of fishing, smuggling and cross channel travel, as such numerous accidents and incidents were known to happen leading to the need of their crews to be rescued. Although there were lifeboats at Deal and Kingsdown, it was decided that in 1856 that a new lifeboat station would be constructed on Walmer Green.  Although closed again in 1912 it was reopened fifteen years later deemed the most suitable location of the three local lifeboat houses to stay open

Up to the present day 28 gallantry medals have been awarded to Walmer R.N.L.I. crews as well as numerous other awards including at least one MBE. In May 1940 the Walmer lifeboat, Charles Dibdin was one of 19 lifeboats that joined the flotilla of little ships taking part in the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk.

During this point in the war a small RAF station was established at Hawkshill Freedown as RAF Walmer, which would be home to M Balloon Unit, and radar and signal jamming equipment to intercept German aircraft as part of the country’s early warning detection of enemy aircraft. The end of the war returned the Freedown to agricultural use, before becoming a nature reserve in 1999.

Just off Walmer is the Goodwin Sands a notorious 10-mile sandbank that has claimed an estimated 2000 ships over the centuries, in November 1703 alone one storm alone claimed over two thousand lives and fifty ships. Between the shore and the Goodwin Sands is ‘The Downs Anchorage’ a deep water, safe haven for ships in times of inclement weather. It was not unusual to have hundreds of ships at anchor off Walmer during storms. In modern times the Goodwins have also become the resting places of numerous aircraft, mainly those shot down or damaged in military actions. One of these, a Dornier Do 17 that crash landed during the Battle of Britain, was raised from the sands and moved to RAF Hendon for study.

In 1665 a company of the Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot was established in Walmer as a forerunner to the Royal Marines, as part of an increase in the defences for the local Naval yard during the second Anglo-Dutch war. Over the next two hundred years, the military would expand with the construction of several barracks and the incorporation of a hospital, culminating with the establishment of a chapel/school building. Then on 7^th May 1861 the small Royal Marines contingent, increased in numbers and now considered as one of the foremost elite forces in the world took up residence in the barracks and establishing itself fully within Walmer. By 1869 all military sites in Walmer had been acquired by the Admiralty for use by the Royal marines.

Over the course of the next fifty years, the Royal Marines would expand greatly, constructing new facilities and inevitably deploying during the two world wars. However, one of the smaller but soon to be important formations was that of establishing a military band, which for several decades would train and perform from the barracks. Then in 1930 the Royal Naval School of Music was moved to the Barracks causing the band to stand down, although the school of music and many of its recruits were move during the war the school would return in 1950 as the Royal Marines School of Music.

The school of music would continue to function as a training establishment for the next four decades, performing across the country and even in other countries. Unfortunately, in 1989 tragedy struck as a terrorist attack by the Irish Republican Army would see 11 musicians lose their lives and cause injuries to many others, something that would be remembered for many years to come.

To commemorate the loss to the town, a memorial bandstand incorporating the names of the 11 bandsmen would be erected in 1993, parades and concerts by the Royal Marine band would be held there during the next few years before the barracks three years later. This would see the end of over three hundred years of continuous military use, the Marines would return to Walmer time and again for decades to come, the annual Royal Marines Band concert a highlight of the year.

The school of music would close its doors on 29^th March 1996 with the Royal Marines moving the Portsmouth Naval Base, the closing of the school meant that the remaining barracks and military facilities would be sold off for redevelopment, many into housing and others into school and sports facilities. One of the larger fields used by the Marines would be transferred to Walmer Parish Council where it would later become the new home of the Deal and Betteshanger Rugby Club.

In 1996 with the ever-increasing population of Deal and Walmer, it was decided to split the administration of the two towns with the establishment of Deal Town Council and Walmer Parish Council. The latter resurrecting the local government apparatus that had been shut down in 1935 with the dissolving of the Walmer Urban District Council. Walmer Parish Council would start with a small part-time staff of a Town Clerk and later administration officers before 2020, when it would rename itself as Walmer Town Council and expand to include several full-time and part time staff.

Since 2013, the council has been located first of all at No 8 and now at No 62 The Strand in Walmer.

Hawkshill Freedown situated on top of a hill behind the Castle is owned by Walmer Town Council. It is an area of rare chalk grassland and is a site of Nature Conservation Interest. In 1917 Walmer Aerodrome was opened on this site and RAF Walmer stayed operational until 1919. It reopened during WW2, but no planes used the old airfield, instead some of the most sophisticated radar systems deployed in WW2 were located there along with M balloon unit of the RAF.

A short history of Walmer Aerodrome is available in a brochure from the Town Office.

History of Walmer Aerodrome