Birchington Collection

Spurgeons Homes, Birchington
Aerial view of the distinctive zig-zag layout of Spurgeons Homes, Birchington, Kent. The Homes were originally based at Stockwell

Minnis Bay, Birchington on Sea, Kent - Painted by landscape artist Alfred Robert Quinton for the Sevenoaks based publishing and printing company J. Salmon, and reproduced as a local view postcard

Mary had a Little Lamb
A lady shopper with her pet lamb on a lead, at Minnis Bay, Birchington, Kent, England. Date: early 1930s

1840s Victorian Map of Isle Of Thanet

Cliffs, Birchington on Sea, Kent - Painted by landscape artist Alfred Robert Quinton for the Sevenoaks based publishing and printing company J. Salmon, and reproduced as a local view postcard

The Square, Birchington village, Kent - Painted by landscape artist Alfred Robert Quinton for the Sevenoaks based publishing and printing company J. Salmon, and reproduced as a local view postcard

Promenade and Bay Hotel, Birchington on Sea, Kent - Painted by landscape artist Alfred Robert Quinton for the Sevenoaks based publishing and printing company J

Beach and cliffs, Birchington on Sea, Kent - Painted by landscape artist Alfred Robert Quinton for the Sevenoaks based publishing and printing company J

Beach, Beresford Gap, Birchington on Sea, Kent - Painted by landscape artist Alfred Robert Quinton for the Sevenoaks based publishing and printing company J

Photograph of Sea View Hotel, Birchington, Kent. The main side of the print (shown here) depicts: Left Face on view of the pub

The Ingoldsby Legends (engraving)
1102830 The Ingoldsby Legends (engraving) by Cruikshank, George (1792-1878) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Ingoldsby Legends)

Group on rear verandah, Quex Park
Group of patients and one nurse on the rear verandah, overlooking the gardens, Quex Park. This verandah ran along the back of the Museum buildings and was used as a sheltered outdoor space in summer

Kent CT7 9 Map
Postcode Sector Map of Kent CT7 9

Tomb of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Painter and Poet
Tomb of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882), Painter and Poet at Birchington on Sea. Date: circa 1910s

Roberte De Byrchyngton. Illustration To The Poem The Brothers Of Birchington By J. Tenniel. From The Book The Ingoldsby Legends Or Mirth And Marvels By Thomas Ingoldsby, Published 1865

Illustration To The Poem The Brothers Of Birchington By J. Tenniel. From The Book The Ingoldsby Legends Or Mirth And Marvels By Thomas Ingoldsby, Published 1865

Rycharde De Byrchyngton. Illustration To The Poem The Brothers Of Birchington By J. Tenniel. From The Book The Ingoldsby Legends Or Mirth And Marvels By Thomas Ingoldsby, Published 1865

Powell-Cotton daughters and friend
The three daughters of Major & Mrs Powell-Cotton and a friend play in the garden of Quex Park in September 1916. The children are (left to right) Elizabeth Worthington (daughter of Dr Worthington)

Reading Bedtime Story
Children from Sea Point school in Birchington, Kent, listen to a bedtime story in their Shoe Villa play house. Date: 1930

Birchington VAD nurses
Studio photograph (Houghton, Margate & Broadstairs) of the Birchington (Kent/178) VAD nurses. A group of ten nurses is shown

Powell-Cotton family with donkey
Hannah Powell-Cotton in her uniform as Commandant of the Birchington VAD, Major PHG Powell-Cotton and the familys Nanny Mrs Cook with three of the children (left to right)

Antoinette Powell-Cotton with Miss May Glass
Antoinette Powell-Cotton (1913-1997) by a tennis net in the garden at Quex Park with her fathers secretary, Miss May Glass in August 1916

Major PHG Powell-Cotton, Quex Park on his 50th birthday
Major PHG Powell-Cotton of Quex Park wearing a head wreath of fuschias for his 50th birthday. His journal records D.(Diana, his eldest child, b. 1907) had made me a head wreath of fushias

Antoinette Powell-Cotton (1913-1997) with Nanny, Mrs Cook
Antoinette Powell-Cotton (1913-1997) with her Nanny, Mrs Cook, in the garden of Quex Park in August 1916. Antoinette was the third child of Major and Mrs Powell-Cotton of Quex Park

Hannah Powell-Cotton, Commandant of Kent / 178
A studio photograph of Hannah Powell-Cotton in her uniform as Commandant of the Birchington Voluntary Aid Detachment, without hat. This jacket survives at Quex Park today (2015)

Patients in the Mess, Quex Park VAD Hospital
A group of patients gathered in the Mess of the Quex Park VAD Hospital. The Mess was sited in the Winter Garden, a large conservatory between Quex House and the Museum buildings

Christening 1918 Tree Planting Soldiers Group
Christopher Powell-Cotton (1918-2006) was christenend at All Saints Church, Birchington on 20 April 1918. Afterwards a tree was planted in the grounds of Quex Park

Christening 1918 Tree Planting Proxy Godfathers group
Christopher Powell-Cotton (1918-2006) was christenend at All Saints Church, Birchington on 20 April 1918. Afterwards a tree was planted in the grounds of Quex Park

Masseur at work, Quex Park VAD Hospital
Jack Hedge, Masseur, at work in C Ward of Quex Park VAD Hospital in 1917. He is watched by eight patients and a VAD nurse

1914 VAD staff in 1917
Members of Birchington VAD staff who were the longest serving when the photograph was taken in 1917. Standing (left to right) Camille Van Dyck (Belgian, origianlly a patient)

Patients & VAD staff, Quex Park
This is the same photograph as 1917 External Groups 009. Patients & VAD staff, Quex Parkin 1917. Hannah Powell-Cotton, Commandant, seated centre

Group of hospital patients, Quex Park. There are twenty men in the group. They are outside the front door of Quex House. All are wearing hospital blues the uniform of military hospital patients

Egg & spoon race, Quex House garden
Patients on crutches, some with amuputated legs, are seen taking part in a race in Quex House garden. They are holding a spoon with an egg in their mouths

Patients race, Quex House garden
Four patients are seen taking part in a race in the garden of Quex House, two nurses and a lady civilian are in the background watching

Bedmaking race, Quex House garden
Three nurses are taking part in a bedmaking race, watched by Hannah Powell-Cotton (VAD Commandant) and a male civilian. The beds are positioned against the line of a tennis court marked out

Hospital Sports, Quex House garden
Patients in shirtsleeves are playing the game of trying to eating an apple hanging from a string tied to a horizontal line

Officers of the Birchington VAD
The Officers of the Birchington VAD Detachment (Kent/178) standing outside the front door of Quex House. They are (left to right) Alice Cobb, Quartermaster (married to Harold Cobb)

Five Imperial patients, Winter Garden, Quex Park
Five Imperial patients outside the front of the Winter Garden, Quex Park. They are wearing hospital blues the uniform worn by patients who were in the Imperial forces

Hannah Powell-Cotton in donkey cart outside the front door of Quex House. The cart is being driven by an Imperial hospital patient. Standing alongside is a member of the Quex House domestic staff

Belgian Patients & VAD Staff, C Ward, Quex Park.This ward was situated in the second of the two Museum galleries, built in the early 1900s and unfinished in 1914

Mrs Mary Holmes and a Belgian patient
Mrs Mary Holmes (Lady Superintendent) and an unknown Belgian patient standing outside the Winter Garden, Quex Park. The Quex Park VAD Hospital opened on 15 October 1914 and closed on 31 January 1919

Members of Birchington VAD. Seated (l-r) Mary Holmes (Lady Superintendent), Hannah Powell-Cotton (Commandant), Alice Cobb (Quartermaster). Standing (l-r) Elsie Alice Smith, Florence Perfect, ?, ?

Hannah Powell-Cotton and Pte CF Reynolds CEF 18684
Hannah Powell-Cotton and Private CF Reynolds, 18684, 42nd Royal Highlanders (Canadian Expeditionary Force) preparing to leave Quex Park VAD Hospital on 1st October 1915

Patients in the Mess Room, Quex Park
Belgian Patients in the Mess Room, Quex Park. The Mess Room was situated in the Winter Garden, a large conservatory situated between Quex House and the Museum buildings

Belgian Patients in the Mess Room, Quex Park. The Mess Room was situated in the Winter Garden, a large conservatory situated between Quex House and the Museum buildings

Belgian Patients & VAD Staff, B Ward, Quex Park.This ward was situated in the first gallery of the Museum, built in 1896, The Gallery housed a diorama (right hand side of photograph)

Belgian Patients & VAD Staff, A Ward, Quex Park
Belgian Patients and VAD Staff in A Ward at the Quex Park VAD Hospital. This ward was situated in the drawing room of Quex House. Fifteen beds were used in this room

Mansford House, Birchington as VAD Hospital
Mansford House, Spencer Road, Birchington. Mansford House was one of the buildings used by the Birchington VAD detachment in the early days of its work in 1914 and 1915

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Birchington, a charming village nestled in the heart of Kent, holds a rich history and picturesque landscapes that captivate all who visit. From its humble beginnings as Spurgeons Homes to its enchanting connection with the famous nursery rhyme "Mary had a Little Lamb, " Birchington is steeped in stories waiting to be discovered. Take a step back in time and explore the 1840s Victorian Map of Isle Of Thanet, where Birchington's name first graced the pages of history. The Cliffs, standing tall against the crashing waves on Sea, offer breathtaking views that leave visitors awe-inspired. Stroll through The Square at Birchington village, where quaint shops and cozy cafes invite you to immerse yourself in local culture. Minnis Bay beckons beach lovers with its golden sands and tranquil waters - an idyllic spot for relaxation or family fun. As you wander along the Promenade at Birchington on Sea, don't miss the grandeur of Bay Hotel overlooking the bay. The Beach and cliffs create a dramatic backdrop for leisurely walks or picnics by Beresford Gap. Delve into history with a glimpse at an old photograph capturing Sea View Hotel's charm during yesteryears. And let your imagination run wild as you admire an engraving from The Ingoldsby Legends - tales that have woven themselves into Birchington's folklore. Finally, join a group on rear verandah at Quex Park and soak up the beauty surrounding this remarkable estate. With so much to see and experience in Birchington, it's no wonder this hidden gem has become synonymous with tranquility and natural splendor. Come discover what makes Birchington truly special – from its historical landmarks like Spurgeons Homes to its captivating coastal vistas – there is something here for everyone seeking solace amidst nature's embrace.