Goodwin Sands, famous sandbanks stretching about 10 miles in a NE. and SW. direction at an average distance of miles from the east coast of Kent. Large level patches of sand are left dry when the tide recedes, and afford a firm foothold, so that cricket has often been played upon them. When covered the sands are shifting, and may be moved by the prevailing tide to such an extent as to considerably change the form of the shoal. The general outline, however, has been fairly constant, although the survey of 1885 by Staff-commander Tizard, R.N., has demonstrated a tendency to more important motion than usual. The shoal is divided into two principal parts, called the North Goodwin and the South Goodwin respectively, between which is the deep inlet named Trinity Bay, where three steamships have been peacefully anchored at one time. In 1841 it was proposed by W. Bush, C.E., and J. D. Paine, architect, to build a harbour of refuge on the Goodwin Sands by enclosing Trinity Bay with a solid wall of masonry, having a large iron lighthouse at the entrance. The North Goodwin is of irregular semicircular shape, with the curved boundary on its northern or outer edge. The North Sand Head light-vessel is moored a little to the eastward of its northern extreme, exhibits a white flash light, and is about 7 miles distant from Ramsgate. So far back as 1795 a lightship, showing three lights, was moored to the north-east of this shoal. The South Goodwin is in shape somewhat like a crab's claw with its lower part fully extended. The South Sand Head lightship lies off its south-western extremity, and exhibits a double-flash white light. On the western side rides the Gull Stream lightship, displaying a white revolving light. A fourth lightship, known as the East Goodwin, lies mile to the eastward of the sands, and exhibits a green revolving light. Passing ships not infrequently foul these lightships, notwithstanding the penalty of £50 and expenses to which they become liable. On 30th November 1878 no fewer than three unknown ships in succession ran into the East Goodwin lightship. All four of the lights are visible 10 miles in clear weather. Each vessel is painted red, has her name in bold letters on both sides, and is otherwise distinguished by the disposition of her mast or masts. In foggy weather a fog siren is sounded on the South Sand Head lightship, and gongs are beaten on board the other three. Should a ship be observed standing into danger, warning guns are fired without delay. The Goodwin Sands are also marked by nine buoys moored in well-defined positions around them, and distinguishable from one another by their various colours and shapes. One, the north-east Goodwin buoy, is a Courtenay's self-acting whistle buoy. This admirable system of lightships and buoys has robbed the Goodwins of much of their danger.
These sands have always been dangerous to vessels passing through the Straits of Dover. On the other hand, they serve as a breakwater to form a secure anchorage in the Downs (q.v.) when easterly or south-easterly winds are blowing. The Downs, though safe under these circumstances, become dangerous when the wind blows strongly off-shore, at which time ships are apt to drag their anchors, and to strand upon the perfidious Goodwins. As a rule, wrecks are soon swallowed up by the greedy sands. One ship, the Ogle Castle, of 1000 tons burden, entirely disappeared in an hour. In May 1841, however, the ship Ellison remained ashore on the North Goodwin for nineteen consecutive tides, and was got off only slightly damaged. The timbers of another wreck were exposed to view at intervals for forty years. Many celebrated wrecks have taken place here, the most terrible having been the loss of an entire fleet of thirteen men-of-war, during the 'great storm' on the night of the 26th of November 1703, on the Sands and neighbouring shore. In two of these, the Mary and the Restoration, every soul perished. Admiral Beaumont with 1200 officers and men were lost. Many poor wretches got on to the Goodwins when the tide was out, and were seen from the shore. Mr T. Powell, the then mayor of Deal, seized the custom-house boats, and paid five shillings for every man saved. Over two hundred were rescued who would certainly have been overwhelmed by the rising tide. In December 1805 here foundered the Aurora, a transport, when no fewer than three hundred persons perished; in December 1814 the British Queen, an Ostend packet, was lost with all hands; and in January 1857 the mail-steamer Violet was destroyed.
These dangerous sands are said to have once been a low fertile island called Lomea (Infera Insula of the Romans), belonging to Earl Godwin, where he lived and kept his fleets; but in 1014, and again in 1099, it was overwhelmed by a sudden inundation of the sea, which also did great damage in other parts of Europe. The tale is that at the period of the Conquest by William of Normandy these estates were taken from Earl Godwin's son, and bestowed upon the abbey of St Augustine at Canterbury. The abbot, having diverted the funds with which it should have been maintained to the building of Tenterden steeple, allowed the seawall to fall into a dilapidated condition; and so, in the year 1099, the waves rushed in, and overwhelmed the whole. Tenterden, it should be noted, is an inland place near the south-west frontier of Kent, 15 miles NNE. of Hastings. Thus 'Tenterden steeple was the cause of the Goodwin Sands;' so, at least, says one of the many legends connected with these remarkable shoals. But geology indicates a date long anterior to the catastrophe of the legend.
Difficulty is experienced in finding firm anchorage for the lightships; and all efforts to establish a lighthouse have been hitherto unsuccessful. In 1840 a beacon, having a refuge-gallery at its summit capable of containing forty people, was erected by Captain Bullock, R.N., which stood for some years, and another in 1847 on piles of iron screwed into the sand, on Dr Pott's method, but this was washed away two months afterwards. As soon as a vessel is known to have been driven upon the sands, signal rockets are thrown up and guns fired from the lightships, when one or more of the four lifeboats from Ramsgate, Deal, Walmer, or Kingsdown immediately launch to the rescue, followed usually by 'hovellers' boats. These 'hovellers,' as the pilots and boatmen of the Cinque Ports are called, show, in seasons of tempest and danger, an intrepidity which is worthy of all praise. See Gattie, Memorials of the Goodwin Sands (1889).