A route, consisting of stairs, ran up from the harbour towards the shrine now beneath Old St Mary's Chapel. These stairs were improved in the 14th and 17th centuries, the later improvements consisting of broad stairs, a suggested origin for the towns modern name.

The route ran between what is now Albion Street (Chapel Place) and the harbour, passing under what is now Eldon Place. It was apparently bridged and eventually cut off and built over during the 19th century. Parts of the stairs are said to have been uncovered below the rear of Cliff Edge house "several years ago" and possibly during the installation of mains services in the mid 1930s (1).

<1> Simon Gerrard, 2010, Information provided by Simon Gerrard regarding Broadstairs (Verbal communication). SKE16033.