FOLKESTONE

'Folca's Stone'  - the stone was the meeting place of its' Hundred (a Hundred is an area of land that would support 100 families, or alternatively, an area that could supply one hundred men-at-arms). The stone acted as a landmark at which people of the jurisdiction met.

I went to school and art college in Folkestone, and spent some very happy teenage years there, so forgive me if a few personal memories creep in here and there 

Over the past few years, Folkestone has become known for its' Creative Quarter', which is based around the Old High Street and Tontine Street. But public works of art are to be found everywhere. 

The Guildhall (town hall, museum and tourist information centre)

The parish church of Folkestone is dedicated to St Mary and St Eanswythe. It was also my school church, where we would hold our annual church service. Eanswythe was a Kentish Anglo-Saxon princess, born around 630AD who founded Folkestone Priory, the first nunnery in England. I have not yet refreshed my knowledge of the interior of the church, but the graveyard has one or two notable inclusions

Human remains were first discovered in a lead container inside the north wall of the Church of St Mary and St Eanswythe  in 1885.

It is thought the remains were hidden there to escape being destroyed during the Reformation in the early 16th Century which changed England's official religion from Catholicism to the new Protestant faith.

In 2020, Kent archaeological and history experts, working with Queen's University in Belfast, confirmed that the remains were almost certainly those of St Eanswythe. 

The Diocese of Canterbury is seeking applications from designers and artists to create a new reliquary for Eanswythe's remains, as the current container is no longer suitable.

Dr Andrew Richardson of Isle Heritage said they were looking to commission the creation of a new reliquary "fit for a Kentish royal saint".

"One that will protect and preserve these relics for generations to come," he added.

The weeping ash...........

At this cross the Mayor of Folkestone was elected annually, as far back as the reign of Edward III (1312-1377). 

Next to the cross is  stone plinth bearing the remains of  rather lovely old sundial

The British Lion is said to be the oldest pub in Folkestone, and stands on the Bayle. However, although the inn claims to have existed since 1460 under the name of the Priory Arms, no firm evidence has come to light of the existence of that alehouse.

The first mention of the British Lion is not until 1782. This would mean the Black Bull in Canterbury Road predates it by 40 years, the original Royal George in the harbour by 65 years and the Red Cow in Foord Road by 100 years. Yet none of these was actually Folkestone's first pub. Apparently, the "Cheker" in what is now Church Street has the strongest claim, as it is mentioned in town records in 1525. It remained on that site until the mid-19th century when it moved for the final time into George Lane. In 1997, the pub enjoyed another new lease of life, when it was transformed by Caroline Godden into the Thistle & Shamrock.

The two cottages next door are interesting................

Another house on the Bayle bears this symbol. Nope. No Idea

The Bayle Garden pond is home to the protected Great Crested Newt.

From the Bayle, you can walk down a steep flight of steps, known as the Bayle Steps, to either the harbour or the Old High Street. Halfway down, is this blue plaque

All the buildings in the Old High Street also have these plaques, explaining their past history - but nobody asked me about the 60s :) Jimmy Godden's rock shop, the ladies' underwear shop which was run by a very strange old man, the Greek Cypriot club and the Acropolis coffee bar, where you could buy certain 'substances', if that was your thing, are all long gone. At the top there used to be a cinema, a cafe with an excellent juke box, and the Earl Grey pub, much used by squaddies from the Shorncliffe camp and which had a special feature of a punch-up every Saturday night 

the entrance to the 'creative quarter' at the junction of the Old High Street and Tontine Street. 

Well, yes, if anyone knows the way to the Warren, it must be the Bunnies. The Adders are pretty familiar with it too!

Just inside the arches which lead to the harbour and the Sunny Sands, is an old building called The Bethel. I won't repeat what this picture explains perfectly

As part of the Triennial public art show in Folkestone, six of these little houses were placed around the place. I only found two of them so far. 

This is the Folkestone Mermaid............................but, why has she got feet?

She looks out over the Sunny Sands.

The East Cliff Pavilion. Used to go to some good rock and roll gigs here. Local band the Rocking Edwardians were very good, and often used to double up on the same bill as Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets or Screamin' Lord Sutch and the Savages. 

Dave Sutch remains as the only politician to have achieved his manifesto without ever having sat in Parliament. He first stood as representative and leader of the National Teenage Party (and of course, later as leader of the National Loony Party), and he had three promises:-

 

1). To  have national 24 hour pop music radio stations, so we didn't have to put up with the often terrible reception from Radio Luxembourg 

2). at least 12 hour, possibly 24 hour opening for pubs, and 

3). lowering the age of majority for voting to 18. 

Well, guess what.........................

From the first time I saw him step out of that coffin on stage and for his resolution alone, he will always be my hero. 

The Incredible, sorely missed, Dave Sutch. Pity he couldn't get the help he so needed

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I love the fact that one of the buildings in the harbour has photos of the local fishermen, past and present.

The Grand Burstin Hotel was built in the 70s with investment from a Polish refugee, after whom it is named. It stands on the site of the earlier Royal Pavilion Hotel, and part of the old hotel was incorporated in the design.

This huge house stands majestically at the top of the Bayle steps, but can really only be appreciated from the harbour side down below. It's called Shangri-La, and one of my school friends used to live there. I can tell you with some authority, that the view from the tower room across to France is totally amazing!

Now, once upon a time, ferries used to sail from Folkestone to France, and amongst these was the Boat Train. The train used to come down from London to Folkestone Junction (later called Folkestone East) and then run down the Tram Road and across the harbour viaduct to the boats. One section of the viaduct comprised a swing bridge to allow taller boats into the inner harbour. Now it has been turned into a pretty walkway, but the railway tracks have been left in situ. 

The harbour station has been restored, and still has its' original signage in both English and French. It is now a pleasant place to stroll, with occasional pieces of art to ponder. Once out of the station, heading out towards the harbour arm lighthouse, there are little bars and cafes in the summertime

This one is called 'Rug People' by Varga Weisz. The name came from the fact that it originally stood on a piece of rug until it was moved to its current position. It represents the many faces of those who travelled to Folkestone in search of asylum, as well as those en route to France and the battles of World war I

Indeed I was! Who would want to be anywhere else?

a tropical picnic ground just off the harbour, on the shingle beach

old, worn, wartime defences

............and then there was Antony Gormley. This is one of his cast iron bodies from the 'Another Time' series. You have to search it out though. There is a set of steep and slippery steps going down from the middle of the harbour arm, and there he is, looking wistfully out across the bay towards Dover.

The doorway denotes that this is what little remains of the 1843 Royal Pavilion Hotel that was replaced by the Grand Burstin - sadly now not so grand

Carol Ann Duffy, erstwhile Poet Laureate, was much influenced by  Wilfred Owen. These plaques, along the wall of the Road of Remembrance, are from her poem 'An Unseen'

I watched love leave, turn, wave, want not to go,
depart, return;
late spring, a warm slow blue of air, old-new.
Love was here; not; missing, love was there;
each look, first, last.

Down the quiet road, away, away, towards
the dying time,
love went, brave soldier, the song dwindling;
walked to the edge of absence; all moments going,
gone; bells through rain

to fall on the carved names of the lost.
I saw love’s child uttered,
unborn, only by rain, then and now, all future
past, an unseen. Has forever been then? Yes,
forever has been.

The words of Tennyson on the memorial at the top of the hill............

Walk, climb, stagger up the Road of Remembrance, and at the top you are greeted by the impressive war memorial, and, at the entrance to the famous Leas, the Step Short Arch. The name is taken from the command given to WWI soldiers to 'step short' to manage the steepness of the hill down to the harbour, where they would embark for war in France. Plaques around the arch tell the stories of some of these soldiers

The Leas is a very popular place for a stroll. The cliffs below are interrupted by the Leas Cliff Hall, the Zig-Zag Path and the Leas lift, which is about to be renovated and put back into working order, I understand.

When I was a teenager, we used to run down the steps to the Rotunda pleasure park, or to use the roller rink, or one of the three swimming pools. (2 indoor and 1 enormous outdoor lido style seawater pool) All are sadly gone now. After swimming, we used to use the lift to get back up to the Leas.  Now don't laugh, but........our favourite was the Olympic sized outdoor pool. It used chlorinated seawater, so it was very buoyant, heated - and so big that on a sunny day, it got even warmer. The top diving board was so high, you could look down on the roller rink next door. But despite all this, if it was raining, we used the indoor rock pool across the road. Nope, no idea why, but we all did it!

A great landslide in 1784, created a new belt of land between the cliff and the beach, and the whole area was landscaped in the 19th. century.

Little Switzerland

This is an amazing place, which lies on a plateau halfway up (or down) the cliffs. It's a small piece of land above the Warren Country Park, which carries a small caravan park, and a nice little cafe. Sitting outside on the lawn, looking out to sea is delightful on a hot sunny day. 

It can only be reached by vehicle from below, or on foot from up the top by the Valiant Sailor pub

There was one curiosity I found.....now, I'm not going to say this has been misappropriated, but it is marked 'Westminster City Council' . So who is Lord Roy Adams?

Well, since 1985, he has been drummer for the Climax Blues Band. He has also performed with Roy Wood, Ruby Turner, the Steve Gibbons Band, Tony Christie and is a favourite drummer amongst touring American artistes such as Chuck Berry .

As a final note..........here in Ashford, we have the William Harvey Hospital, and the William Harvey pub. Similarly, Folkestone's boys' grammar school is also named for him. But who was William Harvey?

William Harvey was the medical pioneer who first described the circulation of the blood. Harvey's father was a jurat and later, mayor of Folkestone, and young William was educated here before going on to Kings School in Canterbury and then to Cambridge University. Harvey's mother is buried in the parish church of Saint Mary and St Eanswythe.