Folkestone | town

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Folkestone - one of the gateways to the Continent, although ferries no longer run, the Channel Tunnel starts here. From the Leas, France can be seen on a clear day across the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Originally a fishing village, the town's heyday came with the railways. Being on the main route between London and Paris, the West End of the town became a haven for London residents who wanted a place by the sea, and the area has wide avenues of large semi detatched houses (most now converted into very spacious flats) leading to the Leas, a swathe of grass along the cliff tops.

After the ferries left, and the fishing industry shrunk, the town went through a decline. However, Roger de Haan, who recently (2004) sold the Saga Group is investing large amounts of money and time into the Creative Quarter to encourage the development on an artists' community around the harbour area and the Old High Street.

This, coupled with the coming of the high speed rail link from the Channel Tunnel to London, which will see commuter trains running from the centre of London to Folkestone in about an hour, means that the town's fortunes are now brighter than for many decades. Proerty prices are booming, a new shopping centre is being built in the centre of town, and plans are afoot to build a marina, university campus, theatres and high quality housing on the seafront in an area previously used by a fun fair.