Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh

Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh is a friendly, easy-on-the-eye, places-to-visit, things-to-do leisure and pleasure playground embracing charming coastal resorts, ancient towns, pretty villages and unspoilt countryside.  It's a place where everyone can have the kind of good time which suits their style, age and mood.

Here's where the green Garden of England spectacularly meets the sea and mainland Europe starts only 35 minutes away. 

Just look at what's waiting to be enjoyed in this distinctively attractive south east corner of Kent  . . .

Miles of promenades, cliff-top walks and family-fun beaches. Stunning countryside to explore by car, bus, bike or on foot. Coastal parks and nature reserves. Events, activities and entertainment for all ages and interests.  Every kind of sport to play or watch.  Colourful carnivals. Historic re-enactments. Art, music and literary festivals. Value-for money places to stay by the sea and in the country.  An impressive choice of good places to eat and drink. Play centres for kids. Night spots for clubbers.  Castles, stately homes, magnificent gardens, the cathedral city of  Canterbury and heritage sites within easy reach. And, as a bonus, the fastest way to France starts at the Eurotunnel terminal, just a few minutes away from Folkestone town centre.

For more information please visit www.discoverfolkestone.co.uk  

Folkestone

Multi-million pound regeneration schemes (due for completion in 2007) are giving an exciting new look to town centre, harbour and seafront areas, adding twenty-first century shopping and leisure amenities to the traditional appeal of a resort which has been a favourite for generations. Landmarks and places of interest are aplenty.  For a quiet stroll or a brisk walk, head for The Leas, mile-long cliff-top promenade flanked by hotels, concert hall, art gallery and exhibition centre (and with wonderful seascapes and views to the coast of France).

Browse the historic Old High Street and Bayle (hub of the 'Creative Quarter' where artists, sculptors, potters and craftsmen in wood and metal have set up studios and galleries) and visit the nearby Parish Church where the remains of  St Eanswythe are emtombed. Take a ride on the Leas Lift (one of the oldest water-balanced cliff lifts in the country) which links The Leas and Lower Leas Coastal Park (wooded undercliff, landscaped gardens, beaches, biggest childrens' adventure playground in  south east England, outdoor theatre, walks and cycleways). Watch the to-ings amd fro-ings in the fishing harbour and along the Stade. Admire Kingsnorth Gardens (formal landscaped gardens with water features). Wander the East Cliff and Warren Country Park (sandy beach, nature reserve and cliff scenery). Visit the Battle of Britain Museum and Memorial at Capel and the Brigade of Ghurkas Visitor Centre at Shorncliffe. Check out antiques shops in Sandgate.

Hythe

The historic Cinque Port town straddles the Royal Military Canal, built as a defence against the threat of invasion by Napoleon, now a pleasant waterway meandering across the Romney Marsh to the Sussex border (walks, cycle ways and picnic places). Tenth- century St Leonard's Church stands above the town like a small cathedral and is internationally famous for its ossuary. Restaurants, antique dealers, small family-owned shops and old buildings are features of the High Street.

Be sure to take a steam train ride on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, the world's smallest public railway, one-third full scale, operating on a 14-mile route from Hythe across Romney Marsh to the shingle promontory of Dungeness, with several stations in between.

For animal magic, make your way to Port Lympne where the world-renowned wild animal park, with magnificent mansion and landscaped gardens set in hundreds of acres of countryside, offers an all-day experience every day of the year except Christmas Day.

Folkestone Racecourse (National Hunt and flat racing) is nearby. For peace and quiet at any time of year. choose Brockhill Country Park, a mile out of town near the village of Saltwood. For an afternoon and evening of fun and spectacle, don't miss the Hythe Venetian Fete (this year on Wednesday, August 15) when decorated floats,  illuminated after dark, sail the Grand Military Canal during a carnival event which
ends with a great firework display

Romney Marsh

Some say it is wild and desolate. Artists and writers find it inspirational. In reality, it is a 'green' paradise - more than a hundred square miles of unspoilt countryside rolling  down from wooded hills to meet broad sands and shingle beaches - and a land of legend. Sense the touch of history in the Cinque Port towns of New Romney and Lydd and in the loneliness of the thirteen medieval churches which stand above meadows grazed by thousands of sheep. 

Watch wild life at the vast RSPB nature reserve at Dungeness and along the solitary beaches by the famous lighthouse. For digging sandcastles, beach games and water sport, the coast along St Mary's Bay is the place to head for. The Romney Marsh was once smugglers' country, and an annual  Day of Doctor Syn is among festivals which re-enact old stories.

For a different experience, go aerial sightseeing over the Marsh or fly to the chic French resort of Le Touquet from London Ashford Airport at Lydd (which is also the venue for a two-day airshow in September).