Folkestone

                                                                                                                                                                                                              To bottom of page

Is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20th centuries. There has been a settlement in this location since the Mesolithic era. A nunnery was founded by Eanswith, granddaughter of Æthelberht of Kent in the 7th century, who is still commemorated as part of the town’s culture. During the 13th century it subsequently developed into a seaport and the harbour developed during the early 19th century to provide defence against a French invasion, and expanded further after the arrival of the railway in 1843. The harbour’s use has diminished since the opening of the nearby Channel Tunnel and stopping of local ferry services, but still remains in active use. Folkestone is the English terminus of the Channel Tunnel.

Folkestone was at one stage a resort town with a developed shipping trade. With the decline of such industries others have filled the gap. The Dormobile works, car conversion manufacturers were based in the town. Church and Dwight, the US company famous for such brands as Arm & Hammer, has its UK headquarters in the town. Silver Spring Mineral Water Company Limited, until recently the largest independently owned soft drinks manufacturer in Britain, was based in Park Farm but closed down in 2013. During the 1980s and 1990s the construction of the Channel Tunnel provided employment, as well as bringing many people to the area, and on completion the running of service still provides work for many. Several insurance firms are based in Folkestone. Some of them used to be involved in the shipping trade but have since diversified into other fields. Saga has its headquarters in Folkestone.  Wikipedia

Walk in Folkestone  – Martello Road to Tontine Street
Approximately 1.21 miles – 1.95 km

The walk starts in Martello Road – Dover Road – Ryland Place – Tram Road – Tontine Street – Harbour Street – Harbour Approach Road – Marine Parade – Folkestone Harbour Arm – Folkestone Harbour Station – Folkestone Harbour – Beach Street – The Stade – The Old High Street – Rendezvous Street – Guildhall Street – Grace Hill – Tontine Street

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