Folkestone Harbour Station under threat of demolition

[Roger Thompson]

My granddad did on the 13th July 1915

Cheers Roger.

[iristaylor]

I have been reading this thread with great interest as its likely my Grandfather sailed from here in WW1.

What is happening with regard to saving the station and the viaduct? Does anybody know the latest on this?

Has it been demolished already?

Iris Taylor

[phil@basildon]

Not yet demolished but the line is now closed

http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4445.0

[iristaylor]

Not yet demolished but the line is now closed

http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4445.0

Thanks for this Phil. I hope it can be saved. I will try and get down to Folkestone this summer to at least see it before it may be lost forever!

Iris

[Charles Fair]

The Foster masterplan is dead in the water as far as I can tell. I understand that Mr de Haan has been talking to Terry Farrel about a different sort of plan. Meanwhile The Remembrance Line Association have been coming up with some very intereseting ideas.... I get the impression that everything is very much up in the air at the moment.

[Arnhem44]

What a pity this kind of thing is happening,I used that station so many times.Hopefully someone can save it.

Brendan

[Neil Clark]

Charles,

Just touching base to let you know I'm keeping an eye on developments. I do so hope you suceed in getting this important war monument saved. So many are being demolished and then being built upon. It's a disgrace...

Neil

[Andy Wade]

Have the building/buildings been listed through English Heritage? I have recenty managed to get three WW2 pillboxes a grade two listing to protect them. There's also a project called Digging Dad's Army which is doing similar work and I'm sure they'd be interested if they aren't already involved. Andy Brockman is the man to contact. They have a website here:

Digging Dad's Army Blogspot

[dycer]

I'm being objectionable with my comment,on Folkestone Harbour Station but please bear with me.

Folkestone is a Channel Port and in WW1 was fully utilised.

I am less certain,however,if Harbour Station,was in WW1,where returning leave men descended.

I fully accept their wish to leave a personal message and have a cup of tea,etc,in Harbour Station,before they left,for France.

If I'm allowed to develop my argument. Folkestone has three Stations,Harbour which is under threat and Central and West.Between Central and Harbour there is a road running down the cliff which is named in honour of the men who tramped down it,on their way,to the Front, in WW1.

Did special leave trains run to and from Harbour Station,in WW1?Or did returning leave men alight at Central,West and directed to the various rest-camps,set up in the Town,only being sent to the Ferry,when it was about to sail?

Similarly when a boat from France docked was there a train waiting in Harbour,to take them to London or were they expected to make their own way to Central,etc to catch an onward train?

George

[coppertales]

The latter part of the movie, "The Great Train Robbery" was filmed at Folkestone station. Neat place. The only reason I recognized it was the information I learned from this thread.....chris3

[dycer]

Copper,

Any decent members of this Forum know the significance of Folkstone and the Town's WW1 History.

But Movies in Folkstone Harbour,etc,escape me.

But I know a welcoming Pub,in Folkstone's Harbour region,which will allow me,and my Wife, a visit to France.

George

[Gunner Bailey]

I’ve read through this thread and feel that it needs a major news update!

In 2009 a group was set up to look at a number of issues related to the history of Folkestone and the relationship to the Great War in particular. The group is called ‘Step Short’, after the order given to troops when marching down a steep hill which in Folkestone’s case is the Road of Remembrance, from the Lees down to the Harbour. Step Short is a sub group of ‘Go Folkestone’ and has a number of working groups and committees working towards the 2014 anniversary.

The Step Short Group is working with Kent County Council, Shepway Council and the Roger De Hann Charitable Trust to focus on a number of real and potential projects. These projects are:

The Road of Remembrance and War Memorial

The Bunker

The Visitor Centre and Trenches

Lower slope restoration

The Harbour Canteen

The Heritage Trails

Events Management

Schools and Community Programmes

Historical Research.

The aim is to have a number of these projects completed before or for the August 2014 100th Anniversary.

To expand on this list in detail would take up too much space so here is a short summary.

Road of Remembrance.

Originally called ‘The Slope’, it became the Road of Remembrance because of the thousands of troops who marched down it to the harbour in WW1. At the top is the town war memorial. The plan is to restore and update the panels on the memorial as there are many names missing. The memorial could also be moved a few yards to put it in a pedestrian setting rather than being a traffic island. A Time Line would be added to the Road of Remembrance making it a ‘living museum’, marking events in the war. The Time Line would be a major project of historic and artistic merit. Refurbishment of the memorial has started.

The Bunker.

Halfway down the Road of Remembrance is a WW2 bunker. This is a large 5 roomed underground complex and it is hoped that this can be used as a museum site. For photos see http://www.undergroundkent.co.uk/rd_of_rem...ance_bunker.htm

Currently ownership is being investigated, with a view to acquiring it for use as a museum.

Visitor Centre and Trenches.

Space has been identified and the lower end of the Road of Remembrance for the building of a WW1 related visitor centre that would also have some reconstructed trenches in the grounds. Planning discussions relating to use of the land are under way.

The Harbour Canteen.

The Folkestone harbour Railway station still has the original canteen (Mole Café) in place that was used by thousands of troops before they embarked for France. It was here that as many as 30,000 troops signed the visitors books, now held by the Kent County Archive. It is hoped to restore the canteen as a museum. The WW1 visitor’s books have been digitised by KCC and plans are in place to decipher regimental and individual names.

The other items are linked to the build up to 2014 and involvement with the local community.

There are good links with Etaples and the Mayor of that town is aware of the plans and a partnership with Etaples regarding 2014 projects is being discussed. Links to Belgium and Canada are also possible.

As you can imagine there are many hurdles to leap and many mountains to climb when driving such a broad programme of work. However many small successes have been won already and work will continue through to 2014 and probably beyond.

I have become personally involved in Step Short and I am happy to update the forum on progress from time to time.

John

Useful links:

http://www.gofolkestone.org.uk/newsletters...Step-Short.html

http://www.rdhct.org.uk/index.aspx

[Andy Wade]

That's a brilliant update John, thank you, it's certainly answered my question.

Great to see that this important part of our recent history is being conserved for future generations.

[dycer]

John,

Thank you for your comprehensive and informative update.

I wish you success in your project.

Best wishes.

George

[Gunner Bailey]

John,

Thank you for your comprehensive and informative update.

I wish you success in your project.

Best wishes.

George

Thanks Andy and George.

On Andy's post 108# it's worth mentioning that the work started by Step Short has led to the War Memorial being recognised as a piece of significant sculpture in it's own right and it has been mooted that it will be listed. The sculptor, FV Blundstone also created the Newfoundland War Memorial in St John's, Tyne Cot Memorial, the Prudential Memorial (to employees who died in the Great War) and many more.

John

[ianw]

Great to see a local area putting in the heritage spade-work. No doubt, Folkestone is an important Great War site. I have no doubt that my GF would have passed through it a number of times.

[Gunner Bailey]

Great to see a local area putting in the heritage spade-work. No doubt, Folkestone is an important Great War site. I have no doubt that my GF would have passed through it a number of times.

Perhaps he's in the visitor's books? Time will tell.

John

[carlosrocha]

Great to see so much interest in the harbour and surrounding areas - I'm originally from Folkestone (now i live in Southampton) but in all my time there, although visiting the station once when the Orient Express was in when i was about 5 years old, never put 2 and 2 together and realised it's significance.

My Grandmothers Grandfather was in the 1st Bttn the Buffs, killed in the battle of Cambrai and is named on the memorial. As the traffic is getting busier would be great to see it moved somewhere where you don't have to dodge the cars to get to it + also somewhere relatively peaceful.

When I go back to visit the family next I'll take a stroll down - do you need permission to go there?

In the meantime found this link with some pics: http://www.urban75.org/railway/folkestone-harbour.html

Regards to all

Carlos

[iristaylor]

It's great to have this topic updated - thanks to all.

Very interested to hear about the Visitors books - I will contact Kent County Council and see whats happening!

Iris Taylor

[Gunner Bailey]

It's great to have this topic updated - thanks to all.

Very interested to hear about the Visitors books - I will contact Kent County Council and see whats happening!

Iris Taylor

Iris

I will post an update when there is positive news. You will not get an information from KCC.

John

[dycer]

Was in Folkestone just over a week ago and saw the "Market Stall" that was seeking support for the saving of the Station and Posters publicising a Military Event in the Town on Sunday,1st August.

George

[Gunner Bailey]

Was in Folkestone just over a week ago and saw the "Market Stall" that was seeking support for the saving of the Station and Posters publicising a Military Event in the Town on Sunday,1st August.

George

The stall relating to the Railway is not involved in the WW1 projects.

The parade on the 1st August was a great success. It was moved from October (last year) to the first week of August to keep it near the week war broke out in 1914. A 1000 veterans, soldiers, cadets and local people took and many local dignataries, the local MP, the Mayor and others dignataries from Etaples in France also came over. A wreath was laid on the sea when the parade reached the Harbour. It should be worth looking at the Kent Messenger website from Thursday this week. The parade was organised by 'Step Short' with former mayor Ann Berry doing much of the work for this event.

Today we had a meeting with a potential sponsor of projects related to the 2014 anniversary. Things are moving!

John

[Gunner Bailey]

There is now a short film on U Tube showing the Parade down the Road of Remembrance on the 1st August. Go to U Tube and search for Step Short 2010 Folkestone.

John

[carlosrocha]

Something else I just remembered that may be of interest (apologies as it's slightly off topic) that i heard when i was a boy living in Folkestone: I used to live on Clifton Road adjacent to the Leas, my mum's boyfriend at the time was in the building trade and while doing some work on one of the many victorian flats in the area they stripped the wallpaper off the walls of a room and underneath was graffitti from the soldiers that had been billeted there during WW1. I didn't think anything of it until i read, on a website about Folkestone local history, that a lot of the flats on the Leas were used to house soldiers either leaving or returning from overseas.

So if anyone on here lives in one of the flats in that area and is doing any decorating you may find something similiar!

[Charles Fair]

Cilton Crescent and the two blocks between it and Sangate Road were fenced off and turned into a rest camp. There is a plan of this camp in the E Kent archives at Whifield.