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Folkestone, a beautiful
seaside town.
Folkestone was once one of the most elegant towns
in the south east of England. It still has a great deal to offer.
A good place to begin is at the harbourside. The pedestrian areas
of the harbour have recently undergone a facelift, there are
pleasant seats, lots of fishing boats to look at and some seagulls
to keep you company. A fresh fish stall sells fish straight from
the boats.
A short walk along the seafront brings you to the Rotunda
amusement park, lots of rides for the children and a nearby sunday
market for the grown ups.
From the Rotunda, you get a good view of the Leas Cliff lift.
A wonderous piece of Victorian engineering. As you enter at the
bottom station, you will hear the pump room pumping water to
the top of the cliff. The cars are powered by water and when
the time comes for the upper car to descend, a tank underneath
it is filled with water, so making it heavy enough to pull the
other car up the hill.
Before going up on the lift, your children might want
to explore the "lower Leas coastal park" which has
many play areas and activities for children, as well as sea views
for adults.
Once at the top of the Leas, a short walk brings you
to the Leas Cliff Hall.
The Leas Cliff Hall is Folkestones main venue for
many events from plays to model railway shows. It is perched
right on the top of the Leas Cliff, with splendid views from
the balconies down to the sea below (shown above).
The Leas extends for a mile or so to the west of the
town, making an enjoyable walk with good views and plenty of
seats. Paths make their way down to the sea through the woods
at regular intervals.
A little further along the Leas, can be seen the two
elegant hotels the Metropole and the Grand, both now converted
into apartments. You can continue the walk as long as you like,
descending from the cliffs to the village of Sandgate and on
along the seafront to Hythe. An excellent cycle path also follows
a similar route.
As for the rest of Folkestone, the elegant large houses
of the "West End" are situated behind the Grand and
Metropole hotels. Other more modern housing includes `Broadmead
Village`, (pictures below), a development built around a river.
With the new rail link due to bring the town within
an hour of London in a few years, there is every prospect for
the town to progress further.
There are, however, other sides to Folkestone, to
learn more, try one of the links below.
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.
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