KENTSTAYCATION
FABULOUSLY
FOLKESTONE
A TOWN TRANSFORMED BY AN ARTY RENAISSANCE , VISIT FOLKESTONE TO ENJOY ECLECTIC EATS , THE ULTIMATE CREATIVE CULTURE AND STUNNING SEA VIEWS .
In March 2023 , Folkestone was heralded by The Times as one of the best places to live in the UK . Dubbing it a ‘ funky example of the power of wellaimed regeneration ’, the newspaper likened our Kentish seaside town to a ‘ younger , fresher and cheaper version of Brighton ’ and with a plethora of places to eat , drink and socialise at , plus a whole heap of arty places to visit , it ’ s easy to see why so many are packing up their bags ( whether those ‘ bags ’ be removal boxes or beach bags ) and heading to this town that gave Kent yet another wave of creative regeneration like a blast of fresh ocean air .
Some refer to Folkestone as ‘ the next Margate ’, but like a younger sibling eager to stand out with its own unique identity ( albeit with some characteristically Kentish family traits ), Folkestone is continuing to define its own pathway through its arty renaissance and into a new era of being an acclaimed , cultural seaside town in its own right . Go back only 10 years and Folkestone was , like Margate , somewhat washed out and looking slightly worse for wear after decades of disparity caused by holidaymakers favouring cheap trips abroad and tossing the town aside for the Mediterranean sun . Remnants of the seaside-loving Victorians and Edwardians can still be seen today and play an important part in Folkestone ’ s current persona , including decadent architecture and one of the town ’ s most defining and adored features : the Folkestone Harbour Arm .
Originally built in the early 1800s , partly to provide potential anchorages for warships during the Napoleonic Wars , it wasn ’ t until 1843 that the arm came into its own as a rival to Dover for steam packets to France . Refurbished by the South Eastern
Railway Company , the arrival of the railway meant that over the next 50 years the new resort of Folkestone grew rapidly and by Edwardian times had established itself as one of England ’ s most fashionable coastal towns . After some years being quite literally ‘ lost at sea ’ having been sold off in the 1980s as part of Thatcher ’ s privatisation programme , it wasn ’ t until 2014 that once again the Harbour Arm found its new reimagined calling . Repurposed as a promenade where people come to savour magnificent views , as well as a wide choice of incredible food and drink , the Harbour Arm has become a vibrant , pulsating social hub . Under the summer sun , it is enlivened and invigorated further still , playing host to live music , arts events and other entertainment .
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