This acquaintance was inspired by the UK lockdown situation in summer 2020. My visit to Folkestone was part of my getting familiar with the southern coast of England in at first rather desperate search of beaches to have some time off that would be at least slightly reminiscent of typical beach holidays a wee bit closer to the equator.
There was no lack of hot days this summer in London, so this project of mine was by no way impeded by the weather, and, to cut the story short, I was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered. My experience has basically proven that one can survive a summer without leaving the UK and not go into a severe holiday mood (and vitamin D) deficiency. The English Channel on this side is of seriously azure colour in good weather and, although the water could do with slightly higher temperature, the sunbathing experience is actually very decent.
The southern coast of the UK to the west of London has some stunning locations that are great for a proper beach experience (we discovered Dorset this summer which is currently at the top of my rating), but Folkestone with direct service from London St Pancras less than an hour away sounds like my safe bet for the next summer and is a viable option for a day trip.
When the train arrives in Folkestone, the easiest way to find the beach is to follow the crowd. Although this town seemed to me less popular among mainstream beachgoers than some other places along the coast, there will definitely be people to follow.
The way to the beach takes no more than 20 minutes as you pass through the city centre that has a chilled vibe of a small seaside town, with its artsy quarter of cafes and crafts shops.
The seafront presents itself with a little town centre shingle beach on the left and a long stretch of the pebble beach to the right that extends towards the seaside town (and the next, and the next) for quite a few kilometres.
In the 19th century, Folkestone was part of effectively the first international rail-sea-rail connection from London to Paris, thanks to the Folkestone Harbour railway station constructed on the brink of the water. Thanks to this smooth connection of the railroad with the boat pier, the Paris-London trip used to take just 12 hours. Sizeable amounts of wine and coal also passed via Folkestone. During WWI and WWII, the station served as a vital connection point with the continent.
In 1968, the station stopped its cargo services, and, following the completion of the Channel Tunnel (whose check-in for passengers is just a few miles away from Folkestone these days), its rail-boat passenger services ceased altogether. Until 2009, the station still serviced the Venice-London Simplon Orient Express (this luxurious train now stops at Folkestone West where passengers change to board a car-carrying Eurotunnel shuttle train) and was fully put out of service in 2014. Since then, it has been refurbished and is now a community space.
Folkestone lies on the England Coast Path and has an excellent asphalted road along the beach for miles and miles. You can start from Folkestone and easily walk to the next seaside town enjoying the views of the sea, holiday homes and colourful beach huts. Everything - except the sea - seems to look a little retro.
I was so excited about my discovery of Folkestone that when the next heatwave hit I rushed to this town again. This time I decided to disembark the train one stop earlier, at Folkestone West. The map showed that the route to the beach takes the same 15 minutes but you approach the beach from a different side. I must say this route was even more enjoyable as it passes through a park and some quiet residential areas and gives you a fantastic view of the water glide from afar.
Water temperature in Folkestone during the July 2020 heat wave reached impressive 16.5C, which is very close to its maximum of 17-17.5C for July-August. You will probably need to make an effort to submerge yourself in the water at first, but the swimming after that gets utterly enjoyable. Refreshing water encourages an active workout!
As Folkestone finds itself in the narrowest part of the English Channel, it has historically been one of the most convenient crossing points between the UK and France. As mentioned, the first rail-boat-rail decades ago and the Eurotunnel route now pass through Folkestone. That said, dozens of migrants since 2010s choose to land here, travelling from France by boat. In 1540, Henry VIII built the Sandgate Castle to defend England from people coming from the other side of the Channel. (It now stands right by the beach, visible when you come down from Folkestone West - although the coastal line originally was quite far from the castle and in the 19th century part of the castle was destroyed by the advancing sea.) During the unusually good weather, August 2020 saw a huge rise in attempted migrant crossings of the Channel. These days, castles on the shores are no longer a solution...