Folkestone, a once proud town Folkestone was once a bustling Victorian seaside town and a gateway to France. Not any more. With the advent of the package holiday abroad, less and less people took their holidays in England, the poor rail links to Folkestone left it too far from London to attract commuters and apart from two or three exceptions, there are very few employers in the town. A further blow came a few years ago when the town lost its ferry link to France as the Seacat sailed away from the harbour for the last time. Now, the harbour lies derelict, and the Burstin hotel, a large 1960`s concrete block, lies alone surrounded by derelict buildings and flats with a large population of drug addicts, alcoholics and asylum seekers. The picture below shows the view from the town centre towards the sea. To the left of the boarded up buildings can be seen the Rotunda Amusement park. Moving further into the town itself, you come (if you dare) to Tontine Street and the Dover Road area. Most nights someone ends up in the local casualty department having been attacked in one of these areas so great care would be wise if venturing around here.   Unfotunately, lots of people living in Folkestone are forced to live in poor housing. The Dover Road area is as one example but there are many, scattered all over the town. The town`s other problems include a delapidated shopping centre, the once tourist hotspot of the scenic `old high street` now being a derilict haunt of undesirables and the lack of facilities and services. All the local GP`s lists are closed and the police are hardly ever seen. Here`s to a better future for Folkestone! For a more optimistic view, check out the other links below.   Folkestone, a great place to live in and visit Folkestone, around and about When you have seen enough of Folkestone, click below or on the `home` picture on the left to return to the main index page. Back To Homepage