The Viking Ship Hugin is a familiar sight to Thanet locals. Located on the clifftop at Pegwell Bay, it proudly looks out over the ocean where its namesake once sailed.
In 1949, a reconstruction of a Viking longship sailed from Denmark to Thanet to commemorate the 1,500th anniversary of the date when the Anglo-Saxon kings Hengist and Horsa arrived in Britain. The boat was built in Denmark and given the name “Hugin” after one of the ravens that accompany the Viking god Odin. The raven Hugin represents thought, and along with its partner Munin (memory), flies all over the world to bring knowledge to Odin.
The boat was manned by a crew of 53 Danes who used only a sextant to guide them across the North Sea, in keeping with Viking sailing tradition. The Hugin was met by thousands of excited locals. British Pathé was there to capture the historic moment in a newsreel which shows the magnificent ship sailing into Viking Bay in Broadstairs and being greeted by an enthusiastic crowd.
The next year a replica of the original Viking Ship Hugin was made and presented as a gift to the towns of Broadstairs and Ramsgate from King Georg of Denmark.