A Visit to Folkestone - a Perfect English Seaside Town

We had an action-packed summer this year, but I managed to squeeze in a couple of days at the seaside just for me and Ruby.  With her dad working during the week, it was the ideal opportunity to jump on the train and head of for an adventure, just the two of us.

It was a rather spur of the moment trip, I booked a great deal at a hotel I knew nothing about, hurriedly looked up train times on the way to the station and had no plans or idea of what we'd find or do when we got there.

But sometimes those are the best kinds of trips.

The journey was seamless.  It's only one hour from St Pancras so actually perfectly doable for a day trip or a quick weekend getaway.  Our hotel was just 15 minutes walk away from the station, and very easy to find.

We struck gold with The Burlington Hotel.  A grand, Victorian building full of interesting stained glass and nooks to explore.  Set in it's own beautifully maintained grounds it's just a stone's throw from the sea front.  Owned by a small, independent hotel chain, you really notice the personal touch, customer care and attention to detail.  Nothing was too much trouble for the staff, from recommending a good fish and chip shop, to gladly minding our bags while we went shopping after checking out.  They happily brought me trays of tea and let me sit in their gorgeous lounge bar when I had to complete some last-minute work, letting me use their free wifi even though I'd already officially checked out.

Although much of the building retains it's original Victorian grandeur, the rooms have all been recently refurbished and we were delighted with our fresh, modern double room and huge ensuite bathroom.  You'll find all the facilities you'd expect from a three star hotel in the room including tea and coffee making, large flat screen TV, desk, phone and hairdryer.

We got a great deal through Amazon Local, but typically you'd pay around £60 for a double room with breakfast if you book online.

Breakfast is served in the Bay Tree basement restaurant, and they are proud of their local Kent suppliers who between them deliver a fabulous full English.

I was really impressed with this hotel, and will certainly be going back for another stay.  I think they've got everything spot on.

Despite no forward planning, we easily found loads to do in Folkestone.  It's a lovely seaside town - not quite yet as achingly cool as other coastal towns like Hastings or Brighton, but definitely on the up and certainly not a tacky kiss-me-quick resort like so many in the UK.

The hip Creative Quarter is worth a wander around, mooching in the small galleries, the boutiques and craft shops and the independent cafes and bars.

The harbour is picturesque and a pleasant place to watch the small fishing boats bobbing in the tide, and maybe pick up some fresh catches from the seafood huts.  The Harbour Arm has recently been regenerated and is open at weekends (until the end of October) selling street food and offering live music and events.  It's also worth popping into the small fishing museum at the docks to see a collection of local photos and artefacts about the industry.

Folkestone is blessed with 3 beaches to please all tastes.  For those wanting a bit of bucket and space action, head down to Sunny Sands just beyond the harbour.  The arches provide a shelter or windbreak should the great British weather turn and great hide and seek locations, and the sand is wonderful for building castles.

Further west there is a shingle beach where you'll find pretty pastel coloured beach huts, and there's also Mermaid beach by the Lower Leas Coastal Path which has a play area (sadly we missed the annual Mermaid Festival this year).  Pop up the cliff to the Mermaid cafe and bar for delicious salads, milkshakes and freshly baked cakes - lovely but pricey.

The Coastal Path is a delight to explore, with formal, bold planting using huge statement plants such as artichokes and agapanthus.  You'll find an outdoor amphitheatre which is sometimes used for live events, brilliant play equipment (the pirate ship and climbing nets were a favourite) and the historic old toll house.  This entire area came about because of a landslide some 300 years ago, and some enterprising earl turned it into a toll road as it provided a much more direct route to the harbour.  The Victorains developed it with planting and paths and installed several sets of steps and lifts to connect it to the grand hotels above.  The Metropole Steps have since been replaced but for those of you who are fit, you can take the 150 stairs to the top.  The rest might want to take the Leas Lift funicular railway.

Folkestone is a town steeped in history, and it's visible everywhere.  In particular their wartime connections are remembered with many monuments and sculptures.  Remembrance Road is currently adorned with hundreds of knitted and crocheted poppies and serves as a poignant reminder of the hundreds of thousands of men who marched this route to the harbour before setting off to fight in the trenches across the Channel in World War 1.

There are many contemporary art installations to be found around the town but by far the most moving was the sound installation by Christian Boltanski called The Whispers.  Arranged around four benches in a crescent shape, looking out to sea and the headland of France beyond, visitors sitting on the benches activate a speaker below.  Sit and contemplate, while listening to transcripts of postcards and letters between soldiers and their sweethearts from the Great War.  It was hauntingly beautiful.

We had such a short visit to the town and I'm sure there's much more to explore.  It was a pleasure to visit and I hope to be able to get back before the end of October to visit the Harbour Arm.  I know where we'll be booking into though!