Margate Caves
A community-led project to save a historic chalk caves creates a vital hub for the community of Cliftonville in Margate.
The scheme saw the construction of a visitors and community centre to enable the re-opening of Margate Caves as part of ongoing regeneration of the area. The building was also designed to provides a flexible café, meeting and education spaces.
The Caves, it is supposed, began their life as a chalk-mine. They were rediscovered in 1796, and had been open for visitors since 1863. The caves closed in 2003 due to safety concerns. Since 2011, campaigners determined to save the Caves.
Alongside returning the caves to their historic role as a public attraction, the project has seen the new building become a hub for volunteer training in Margate, and the implementation of an activity programme that takes the Caves out to the local community.
Photography: Richard Chivers
