Folkestone Triennial

Folkestone ( FOHK-stən) is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20th centuries. There has been a settlement in this location since the Mesolithic era. A nunnery was founded by Eanswith, granddaughter of Æthelberht of Kent in the 7th century, who is still commemorated as part of the town's culture. During the 13th century it subsequently developed into a seaport and the harbour developed during the early 19th century to provide defence against a French invasion. Folkestone expanded further west after the arrival of the railway in 1843 as an elegant coastal resort, thanks to the investment of the Earl of Radnor under the urban plan of Decimus Burton. In its heyday - during the Edwardian era - Folkestone was considered the most fashionable resort of the time, visited by royalties - amongst them Queen Victoria and Edward VII and other members of the English aristocracy. The architecture of the town, especially in the West End part of the town is a testimony of this period with many impressive buildings, townhouses, villas, private squares and large hotels built to accommodate the gentry. After two world wars and the boom of the overseas holiday package, the town quickly declined. The harbour's trade diminished following the opening of the nearby Channel Tunnel and the ending of ferry services from Folkestone, but it still remains in active use.

South Kent College (SKC) was a college of further and higher education in southeast England. The main campus was in Folkestone, with satellites in Dover and at several sites in Ashford. Following a KPMG report in 2008 that recommended a merger, in April 2010 SKC joined West Kent College to form South & West Kent College, trading as K College.

Folkestone Central railway station is on the South Eastern Main Line in England, and is the main station serving the town of Folkestone, Kent. It is 69 miles 73 chains (112.5 km) down the line from London Charing Cross. All trains that call are operated by Southeastern.

The Pleasure Gardens Theatre was a theatre in Folkestone in Kent. It was opened in 1886 in a building that had previously been constructed as an Exhibition Hall in 1851. It was later converted into a cinema before closing in 1964.In the interwar years several plays premiered there prior to West End runs including Dorothy Brandon's 1923 hit The Outsider. The following year Sutton Vane's Falling Leaves was first staged at Folkestone.

The history of Folkestone stretches back to ancient times, with evidence of human habitation dating to the Mesolithic and Paleolithic ages over 12,000 years ago. Its close proximity to the Continent means that it has often been a point of transit for migrating peoples. The area has successively been occupied by groups of Britons, Romans and Saxons. During the Iron Age, a large oppidum and quern-stone workshop were situated on the eastern headlands of the bay. By the Roman era, it had been transformed into a large Roman Villa overlooking the sea. During the Anglo-Saxon period, Folkestone was part of the Kingdom of Kent. After the Norman Invasion, a Norman knight held the Barony of Folkestone, by which time the settlement had become a fishing village. In the 13th century, it became part of the Cinque Ports, and had the privileges of a wealthy trading port. By the start of the Tudor period it had become a town in its own right. Wars with France meant that defences had to be built here; and plans for Folkestone Harbour were made. At the beginning of the 18th century the harbour finally became a reality, and Folkestone, like most settlements on the south coast, became involved in smuggling. However, it was the coming of the railways in mid-19th century that were the making of the town's prosperity: with it came the tourist trade, and the two industries, port and seaside resort, benefited the town until changes in tourist opportunities in the mid 20th century brought about its present somewhat depleted fortunes.

The Royal Victoria Hospital, Folkestone, is a community hospital located on the edge of Radnor Park in Folkestone, Kent, in England. It is managed by the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.

Cheriton Road is a complex of sports grounds at Folkestone in the English county of Kent. The complex includes football pitches, a cricket ground, hockey pitches, netball courts and an indoor sports facility. It includes the home ground of Folkestone Invicta F.C., known as The BuildKent Stadium for sponsorship reasons, and the Three Hills Sports Park which includes the home grounds of Folkestone Cricket Club and Folkestone Optimist Hockey Club. The cricket ground, which was previously called the Cheriton Road Sports Ground, was used by Kent County Cricket Club for top level cricket matches. The ground is located around 1 mile (1.6 km) north-west of Folkestone town centre, 500 metres (1,600 ft) north-east of Folkestone West railway station. It was built on farmland owned by the Radnor Park estate between Cheriton and Folkestone. The A2034, the former route of the A20 trunk road, runs along the southern and western edges of the ground, joining the M20 motorway to the north of the ground. It is at the foot of the North Downs which rise on the northern edge of the Folkestone urban area.

Folkestone Invicta Football Club is a football club based in Folkestone, Kent, England. They are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Cheriton Road.

Folkestone and Hythe is a local government district in Kent, England, in the south-east of the county. Its council is based in the town of Folkestone. The authority was renamed from Shepway in April 2018, and therefore has the same name as the Folkestone and Hythe parliamentary constituency, although a somewhat narrower area is covered by the district. Most of the population live in the coastal towns of Folkestone and Hythe. The north of the district mainly consists of landscape villages interspersed with woods along parts of the North Downs, while the south features a coastal expanse of lower lying, periodically reclaimed villages in less forested Romney Marsh, which has a number of communities extensively built in the medieval period and 17th century as centres of the Romney Marsh wool trade. The district's economy is influenced by the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the M20 motorway, while the tourism and allied retail sectors provide key sources of employment.

Leas Cliff Hall is an entertainment and function venue situated in Folkestone, on the Kent coast of England. The Grand Hall seats 900 and it has a standing capacity of 1500. It currently presents a varied programme of touring shows including concerts, comedy, ballet and wrestling.

The Harvey Grammar School is located in Folkestone, Kent, England. It is a grammar school with academy status founded by the family of William Harvey in 1674.

Lower Leas Coastal Park is in Folkestone, in Kent, England. The park is split into three broad recreational zones, starting at The Leas Lift (on Lower Sandgate Road) and heading west. The formal zone comprises pine avenues and flower gardens, planted for all-year-round interest. The fun zone comprises the large free adventure play area and the amphitheatre. The last area, the wild zone, has been created for a diverse wildlife habitat, with careful management.