Re-enactors, mock battles and family fun to mark 75th anniversary of Viking ship Hugin’s arrival in Thanet

A free family fun day will be held in Cliffsend to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of Viking ship Hugin in Thanet.

On July 28, 1949, the replica longship, now sited at Cliffsend, was met by a large crowd at Viking Bay (formerly called Main Bay), Broadstairs.

It had sailed from Denmark to Thanet to celebrate the 1500th anniversary of the invasion of Britain, the landing of Hengist and Horsa and the betrothal of Hengist’s daughter, Rowena, to King Vortigen of Kent.

The boat was built in Denmark to a design used by the Vikings between the 5th and 8th centuries. It was then sailed by 53 Danes to Broadstairs. It was presented to the people of Thanet by the King of Denmark, its costs having been paid by The Daily Mail, and was placed in its current location at Cliffsend.

In 2005 the ship underwent major repairs coordinated by marine restoration specialist Fred Walker and funded by Thanet District Council, assisted by EU funding.

Hugin’s arrival was presented in a newsreel short entitled “Kent Welcomes Viking Invaders”, which British Pathé has uploaded to YouTube.