Local Area

Folkestone is a vibrant seaside town located where North Downs meets the sea, benefitting from being close to both the coast and the countryside. The long stretches of beach, sandy and pebbly, offer a variety of water sports and activities as well as views of France on a clear day. The Leas is Folkestone’s promenade, although due to the coastline it sits some way above sea level with gardens and a bandstand where events take place during the summer. 

The Lower Leas Coastal Park sits below the promenade and is split into differing zones, including a formal zone of pine avenues, gardens, places to rest and flowers, an adventure play area and an Amphitheatre.

Folkestone has seen substantial regeneration in recent years, including the formation of a Creative Foundation based in the Creative Quarter. The Creative Quarter comprises of The Old High Street, a winding cobbled lane lined with independent shops, restaurants and cafes and Tontine Street, a busy thoroughfare linking Folkestone Harbour with the centre of the town. It’s home to a range of creative people such as designers, makers, artists and musicians.

Folkestone Harbour and the newly restored Harbour Arm offer a good range of food, drinks and entertainment including a fish market which sells fresh fish and seafood caught daily by the local fishermen.

The Folkestone Triennial takes place every three years. During the Triennial, artists are invited to use the town as their canvas and create unique pieces of art, some of which are kept permanently and form part of the Folkestone Artworks – a collection of 27 artworks on display in public spaces across the town. 

Live music is an important part of Folkestone’s social scene, with most of the independent cafes and bars offering a programme of events, plus the Leas Cliff Hall and the Quarterhouse which often host larger nights. As well as the town’s two theatres, the Quarterhouse and the Tower Theatre, there is an independent cinema, the Silver Screen, and plenty of independent venues that put on plays, comedy, storytelling and other live performances across Folkestone.

The town has three museums, The Folkestone Museum, the Fishing and Heritage Museum and the Battle of Britain museum, one of many places around the town which documents the area’s important role in history.

For those that love shopping, Folkestone has countless independent shops as well as a number of high street chains and for a wider selection of high street names, Ashford and Canterbury are a short drive away.

Transport connections:

Trains from Folkestone Central and Folkestone West go directly to St Pancras (55 minutes), Stratford International (45 minutes) and Ashford International (15 minutes) on the High Speed line. Direct trains also run regularly round the coast to Dover, Deal, Margate and Whitstable. See Southeastern Trains.

Folkestone is located on the M20, 3 miles from the Eurotunnel where trains to Calais take 35 minutes and 10 miles from Dover’s ferry terminal.