Folkestone

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Folkestone
Coordinates 51 ° 5 '  N , 1 ° 10'  E Coordinates: 51 ° 5 '  N , 1 ° 10'  E
OS National Grid TR218361
Folkestone (England)
Folkestone
Folkestone
Residents 46,698
administration
Post town FOLKESTONE
ZIP code section CT18-CT20
prefix 01303
Part of the country England
region South East England
British Parliament Folkestone and Hythe
Website: www.folkestonetc.kentparishes.gov.uk
Folkestones harbor, from the golf course

Folkestone [ fəʊkstən ] is a city and the administrative center of the district Folkestone and Hythe in the county of Kent in the UK . The city lies on the English Channel and has a population of around 53,000 (2017). Some suburbs and neighborhoods are Capel-le-Ferne , Cheriton , Hythe and Hawkinge .

geography

Folkestone is located in the region of southeast England on the north coast of the English Channel, which connects the Atlantic Ocean in the west with one of its marginal seas, the North Sea , in the east. It is located about eleven kilometers southwest of Dover .

history

The area around Folkestone has been inhabited since the Mesolithic. In 2010, worked flint stones were found under the remains of a Roman villa. During excavations in 1924 and 2010/2011, remains were found that can be assigned to the period from the Mesolithic to the Roman occupation of Britain.

In the Middle Ages, the fishing village of Folkestone was part of the Folkestone barony owned by a Norman knight. This resulted in the assignment to the Cinque Ports League of Cities in the 13th century , which led to the development of the place into a prosperous trading port. At the beginning of the Tudor period, Folkestone received city rights.

Due to the wars with France, the defenses and the port were expanded. As in many other settlements on the south coast, smuggling developed in Folkestone in the 18th century . After the port opened in 1800, the connection to the railway network in 1843 had a major impact on the development of the city. Tourism also flourished.

Attractions

Leas Lift , from Lower Sandgate Road

A landmark of Folkestones are The Leas , the cliffs above the beach.

The Leas Lift is an 1885 water ballast ropeway that connects Lower Sandgate Road with The Leas .

A Martello tower stands on the cliff above Copt Point .

The Folkestone White Horse is engraved on Cheriton Hill above the tunnel portal of the Eurotunnel .

traffic

Northwest of Folkestone is the British portal of the Eurotunnel. Large traffic facilities allow cars and trucks to exit the shuttle trains and to shunt them.

The M20 motorway to London begins in Folkestone .

Folkestone is connected to the railroad through the Southeastern . Originally there were four train stations: Folkestone West , Folkestone Central , Folkestone Junction and Folkestone Harbor . Folkestone Junction was closed in 1965, Folkestone Harbor was in regular service in 2001/2002, but it is still used for tourist purposes.

economy

Hovercraft and ferries used to connect with the French ports of Boulogne-sur-Mer and Calais on the mainland . Today, Folkestone is the British end of the Eurotunnel.

There are many language schools in the city , which are particularly popular in the summer months because of the coastal location.

sons and daughters of the town

Town twinning

Folkestone is twinned with

The city is also part of the Cinque Ports, a union of cities on the English Channel coast.

Web links

Commons : Folkestone  - collection of images, videos and audio files