TOWNSPOTLIGHT
Spotlight on
FOLKESTONE
The Kentish coast is a beautiful place, and the towns and villages along it are exciting and interesting – NOT TO MENTION ATTRACTIVE AND FULL OF LIFE. WITH A THRIVING HIGH STREET, GROWING ARTS’ SCENE AND SO MUCH TO ENTICE BOTH VISITORS AND LOCALS ALIKE, FOLKESTONE IS THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN OF KENTISH COASTAL TOWNS, AND CONTINUES TO DELIGHT – AND OFTEN SURPRISE – THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO GO THERE. BY LISAMARIE LAMB
Leas Cliff Hall
The Quarterhouse and Tontine Street, Folkestone © Dan Desborough
HISTORY IN BRIEF
There were probably quite a few interesting things happening in Britain 12,000 years ago, and one of those things was that humans were living in the area now known as Folkestone. It has, therefore, always been a popular place to be. The evidence for this really rather remarkable fact comes from archaeological digs, and those same digs also turned up items from the early Britons, the Romans and the Saxons.
Once part of the Kingdom of Kent, this little fishing village has grown over the centuries to become a large and important town on the Kent landscape, known variously for being one of the UK’ s first tourist destinations, smuggling and for being one of the worst hit areas outside of London during World War II.
Recently Folkestone has been brought right up to date with the help of the Southeastern high-speed railway link that takes commuters and passengers from the seaside to London’ s St Pancras International in just under an hour.
THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA
Sandgate Beach You cannot go to Folkestone without spending some time on the beach, and Sandgate Beach is one of the loveliest of them all. It’ s a particularly quiet shingle beach which is ideal for a bracing walk on a chilly winter’ s day or a refreshing relax in the summer. The water quality is rated as excellent and there are shops, pubs and cafés nearby.
Leas Cliff Hall This large entertainment venue is well loved by locals and visitors alike. With concerts, plays, ballets, and even wrestling, the events here are varied and change often enough that you will always find something to suit your own tastes. A great coffee shop on the ground floor is an excellent way to wind down and relax when you’ ve been out and about, and the bar and restaurant are a fabulous way to begin or end your night out in Folkestone.
The Creative Quarter The Creative Quarter is an area of Folkestone that has been developed by the Creative Foundation, a charity launched in 2002, to regenerate Folkestone through the arts, the creative industries and education. It is an amazing area of Folkestone, where people’ s creativity is encouraged, supported and enabled to flourish. The Creative Quarter comprises of The Old High Street, a winding cobbled lane lined with independent shops, and Tontine Street, a busy thoroughfare linking Folkestone Harbour with the centre of the town.
Lower Leas Coastal Park With adventure playgrounds, impressive sea views, lovely picnic areas, beautiful flowerbeds, and the Mermaid Café to ease any hunger pangs and keep you topped up with refreshments, there really is something for everyone in the Lower Leas Coastal Park. Follow the route to enjoy a lovely coastal walk, and pop to the beach as there is easy access from this great park to the sea itself.
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