Explore the historic coastal town of Folkestone, recently judged “the best place to visit in the UK”, on a guided walking tour by an experienced local guide who has been providing these tours for nine years.
Learn about Folkestone’s important role in two world wars and its reputation as the most fashionable resort in late Victorian and Edwardian England, frequented by royalty as well as writers and artists. Stroll along The Leas, highlighted in prestigious guidebooks as “the finest marine promenade in the world” with wonderful views of the English Channel and the nearby French coast.
Walk through The Bayle, the oldest part of the town, where an Anglo-Saxon Kentish princess earned sainthood after her death for her proclaimed miracles and ministrations to the poor, and where dinosaur and hippopotamus bones have been discovered.
Amble down the steep, colourful Old High Street, the centuries old link between the upper town and the harbour, transformed over the past 20 years from a dangerous and derelict mishmash of medieval buildings into a vibrant thoroughfare of gift shops, galleries, artists’ studios, restaurants and coffee shops – and a Banksy!
Visit the ancient harbour where fishing was the staple occupation for a thousand years and where, with the arrival of the railway in 1843, the cross-channel ferry industry took off, the embarkation point for servicemen, dignitaries and holidaymakers for the next 160 years. At Sunny Sands, the nearest sandy beach to London by public transport, we will meet Folkestone’s very own mermaid!
Traverse the railway viaduct, its modern use modelled upon the High Line in New York City, that separates the inner and outer harbours, into the Folkestone Harbour station which has been lovingly renovated and returned to its original look. As you cross the viaduct, listen to the fascinating stories surrounding the Grand Burstin Hotel and Shangri-La apartment block.
Explore the Harbour Arm, once the bustling hub of the ferry industry, but which had, with the decline of the port around the turn of the century, become a no-go area. This may be where Folkestone’s remarkable regeneration is most visible. Restored using stonework and ironwork identical to the original construction of 1905,
the walkway has become one of the loveliest in the county, with views of the White Cliffs of Dover and Martello Tower, as well as the French coast. It is also home to a diverse and enticing collection of restaurants and bars, many surrounding the former Goods Yard with its giant cinema screen and others located in repurposed railway carriages and brightly coloured containers. Adjacent to this is the Marketplace where 35 fisherman style huts display independent arts and crafts on weekends and bank holidays.
Throughout the tour we will encounter many distinctive artworks which represent the “largest outdoor gallery in the UK”, some of which have only been unveiled in July 2025 as part of the town’s sixth Triennial exhibition.
