A Rich History and Vibrant Present
Folkestone, a town with a long history intertwined with the presence of Romans, Saxons, and Jutes, has undergone significant transformations over the centuries. Once overshadowed by its coastal neighbors in Kent and Sussex, the town found new life through key developments. The construction of a harbor in the early 19th century allowed steamships to depart for Boulogne, and the arrival of the railway from London further connected Folkestone to the wider world.
After experiencing heavy air raids during both World Wars, the town saw a wave of reconstruction that attracted holidaymakers and daytrippers. The introduction of high-speed trains and the Channel Tunnel in the early 2000s accelerated the town’s development, positioning it as a modern hub. Since 2008, Folkestone has hosted a major arts triennial, featuring commissioned artworks that now have permanent homes around the seafront and on the hillsides. This event has grown into the UK’s largest urban outdoor exhibition of contemporary art, showcasing over 70 pieces by artists like Tracey Emin and Yoko Ono.
In the past five years, £20 million in levelling up funding has transformed the town’s layout and public spaces, while the once-forgotten harbor has seen new life. Local entrepreneur Roger de Haan, Chairman of Saga, which his father founded in Folkestone, has invested in the harbor alongside other charitable projects. A major new attraction, the Sea Salt Scrub sauna, opened in time for Easter, and is currently the UK’s largest of its kind.
Best Places to Stay
Shoreline is an ambitious beachfront development of luxury homes designed by Roger de Haan. These homes, shaped like a clam shell and constructed with glazed white bricks, triple-glazed glass, and marine-grade steel, offer breathtaking sea views. While the spacious beach houses are priced above £1 million, a few are available as holiday lets through Bloom Stays, starting at £350 per night. These properties come with private parking, high-spec kitchens, and some even feature patio gardens and direct beach access.
In the Leas, The View hotel occupies a Victorian villa and offers modern bedrooms, some with accessible features, starting at £61 per night.
Best Things to Do
A short walk along the boardwalk from Shoreline, past Lubaina Himid’s Jelly Mould Pavilion, leads to the Sea Scrub Sauna, claimed to be the UK’s biggest beach spa. This facility boasts two large wood-fired saunas, two cold plunge pools, a hot tub, a Japanese café, and a fire pit. Open from 8am to 8pm, it’s an ideal spot for invigorating contrast therapy. An hour-long session starts at £17.
Best Places to Shop
The Old High Street is the main artery of the Creative Quarter, a pedestrianized street lined with independent shops, studios, cafés, and galleries. Here, you can browse handmade jewellery, hipster tattoo inspiration, comics, vintage clothes, vinyl, and fun beachy souvenirs from Laes, including graphic sweatshirts, kids’ t-shirts, and beach toys.
A Must-See Attraction
Folkestone Harbour station, which originally transported guests from trains to steamships in 1850, closed in 2009 and fell into disrepair. However, it was revitalized as a linear park a decade later, becoming a unique and award-winning place to wander by the seafront.
Walk over the harbour, keeping an eye out for Richard Woods’ cartoonish, floating Holiday home bobbing on the water, along the viaduct with its plants and seating areas. The 1915 signal box is now a coffee shop, and doorways open onto cafés, a taproom, and a street food and events plaza.
Best Place for a Sundowner
Continue to the end of the Harbour Arm, where The Lighthouse Champagne Bar offers an atmospheric setting on a sunny evening. Enjoy a chilled glass of Chapel Down sparkling Bacchus or Kentish pip Skylark cider under a dusky pink sky.
Best Place for Dinner
Walk back up the Harbour Arm to She Sells Seashells, a seafood restaurant housed in restored antique train carriages on Platform 3. Fresh fish from nearby Dymchurch and wine from Biddenden are highlights of this dining experience.
Best Beach
The main beaches are shingle, but heading west from the harbour leads to Sunny Sands, the only sandy beach for miles. Artworks here include Tracey Emin’s Baby Things series and Cornelia Parker’s sculpture The Folkestone Mermaid.
Best Place for Lunch
Return to the Harbour Arm for a fishermen’s breakfast or pancakes at Sailbox. For a longer lunch, head to Bouverie Village at the west end of Folkestone, where the Radnor Arms serves a modern pub menu including woodfired seabass and Sunday roasts such as Orchard Farm porchetta.
Best Place to Relax
Wander around the Lower Leas Coastal Park, where the zig-zag pathway down to Mermaid Beach is inspired by Italian cliffside promenades. Hidden seats, secret grottos, and artworks like David Shrigley’s Lamp Post add charm. The grassy spots are popular for picnics, and there’s also a playground. The listed Leas Lift funicular is being refurbished and will offer a swift route back up when completed later this year.
Best Place for a Treat
Fish restaurant Rocksalt by the harbour has been winning awards for 15 years. Recently, laid-back Little Rock opened above it, offering a terrace perfect for sunset cocktails and small plates. Afterward, enjoy artisan gelato at Herbert’s next to the fish market.
Three Things You Might Not Know About Folkestone
1) King Edward VII would often take his mistress Alice Keppel – great grandmother of Queen Camilla – to the former Grand Hotel in the Leas.
2) Folkestone is home to F51, the world’s first purpose-built multi-storey skatepark, featuring suspended concrete bowls.
3) Former footballer and Match of the Day presenter Jimmy Hill once played for non-league side Folkestone Town in the 1940s while stationed in the town with the Army.
