Added\nto this, the abundance of green space, scenic cliff walks, and a great\nselection of schools means that Folkestone really does have something for\neveryone. Little surprise then that it has been named amongst the best areas to\nbuy a home in 2020 by the Evening Standard<\/a>. And even with an ever-increasing\nprofile, Folkestone is still great value for money, with an average house price\nof \u00a3257,670 in 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Folkestone\nis well connected and hugely popular with London commuters wanting the perks of\nliving by the sea. You can grab a high speed 1 train from Folkestone Central to\nLondon St Pancras in 54 minutes with an annual season ticket costing just over \u00a35800.\nThere are also frequent services from either Folkestone Central or Folkestone\nWest to London Cannon Street. On an average weekday there are an impressive 111\ntrains from Folkestone to London. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then\nof course you have the Euro Tunnel<\/a>. You can get from\nFolkestone to Calais in just 35 minutes. The Eurotunnel uses \u201cLe Shuttle\u201d and\ncarries all forms of freight and motor vehicles, including motor bikes and\ncaravans. See a full list of train times here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By\ncar, you can get to London in 1 hour 46 minutes using the M25 and M20 motorways.\nFolkestone is also close to the M2 with connections to Medway, Sittingbourne\nand Faversham and also provides a route to the Port of Dover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Folkestone\nis home to a great range of local bus services<\/a> connecting the area to other towns and\nvillages across the district and nearby Canterbury. There is also a big push on\nenvironmentally friendly travel in Folkestone too, with several traffic free\nwalking\/ cycling routes<\/a> including the scenic coastal cycling path<\/a> to Dover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nearest stations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many\nfamilies move to Folkestone for the number of good schools<\/a> in the area. As far as\nprimary schools are concerned, over 37<\/a> of them are either\nrated \u201cgood\u201d or \u201coutstanding\u201d by Ofsted. Stowting Church of England Primary School<\/a>, The Bodsham Church of England Primary School<\/a> and The Beacon School<\/a> are all highly rated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\nare 6 secondary schools in the area. The Harvey Grammar School<\/a> for boys age 11-18 has\nan \u201coutstanding\u201d rating by Ofsted and dates back to 1674. The Folkestone School for Girls<\/a> age 11-18 has equally\nhigh standards and excels in all areas. The Marsh Academy<\/a> has a \u201cgood\u201d Ofsted\nrating and supports its students extremely well, in and out of the classroom. Brockhill Performing Arts College<\/a> is also popular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 34\nminutes\u2019 drive from Folkestone is the scenic University of Kent<\/a>. There are a wide\nrange of Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses and international study options\nand the university is a leading academic institution with a Gold Award for\n\u201coutstanding teaching\u201d in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\nare also plenty of baby and toddler groups<\/a> in the Folkestone area\nto keep the younger members of the family happy and give you the chance to meet\nother parents. Popular options are the Hawkinge Children\u2019s\nCentre Groups<\/a>\nand An Invitation to Play<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Folkestone\u2019s\nbuzzing art scene is at the heart of the town and there are many festivals and\nevents locally. The Creative Quarter<\/a> is home to an eclectic\nmix of creative businesses and art studios and was part of the Folkestone\nregeneration project. Pop into Moo like a Monkey<\/a> for some fabulous\nhand-crafted toys and eco-friendly children\u2019s\u2019 clothes or have a rummage in Rennie’s<\/a> for some vintage treasures. Not to be missed\nis the Folkestone Mermaid in Folkestone town:<\/a> a life-sized sculpture by Cornelia Parker, inspired by the\nstory The Sea Lady by HG Wells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For\nall your high street favourites with some local independents thrown in for good\nmeasure, head to Bouverie Place Shopping\nCentre<\/a>.\nThere are plenty of places to refuel and a busy annual program of events and attractions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For\neating and drinking, the refurbished Folkestone Harbour Arm<\/a> is the place to be.\nThe locals have worked so hard and it\u2019s been a real labour of love to rejuvenate\nthe area. The harbour has plenty of pubs, live music, quirky food stalls and a\nbuzzing atmosphere, especially on those warm summer evenings. A sunny al-fresco\nlunch at Rocksalt<\/a> will allow you to take\nin the views across the Channel whilst enjoying Michelin Star cuisine by chef Mark\nSergeant. Alternatively, you can just grab a coffee at Harbour Coffee Co<\/a> (part of the \u201cEast\nYard\u201d) and find a nice place to sit and enjoy the panoramic views. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For\nthose with a hearty appetite, head to Luben\u2019s<\/a> for mouth-watering, wood-fired\npizzas or popular Big Boy Burgers<\/a> (which does what it\nsays on the tin!). Wash it all down with a glass of champagne in the Lighthouse Champagne\nBar<\/a>,\nactually tucked into the lighthouse itself at the tip of the harbour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although\nthere is not much of an all-night clubbing scene in Folkestone, there are definitely\na stellar number of bars and pubs to keep you entertained. The Inn Doors Micropub<\/a> on Sandgate High\nStreet is a favourite for good conversation and a decent ale. No fruit\nmachines, TV or even music, and the bar staff might even ask you to put your\nphone on silent on your way in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fans\nof the outdoors are spoilt for choice in Folkestone. The Lower Leas Coastal Park<\/a> has the largest free\nadventure play area in the South East and if you head to the other side of town\nyou will find Sunny Sands Beach<\/a>. A smaller but\nperfectly formed \u201cpicture perfect\u201d sandy beach, fringed with grassy hills and\nflowers and home to numerous water sports and a competitive annual sand making competition<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Warren and East\nCliffs<\/a>\nis a more rugged yet still charming part of Folkestone. Unruly grassy paths\nlead steeply down to the pebble\/ sandy coves where you are sure to find a fossil<\/a> or two. You can marvel\nat the White Cliffs of Dover<\/a> from this location\ntoo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once\na sleepy fishing village, Folkestone is now a bustling town full of things to\ndo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Creative Folkestone\nTriennial<\/a>\nis an ever-changing exhibition of artworks throughout the town that is totally\nfree and accessible all year round. There is also the Open Quarter Art\nFestival<\/a>\nthat runs over 10 days every year and gives the public a chance to meet the\nartists that are the driving force behind the town\u2019s creative community. Book\nworms will enjoy the Folkestone Book\nFestival<\/a>\nnormally held in November each year. SALT Festival<\/a> invites the audience\non an interesting journey of discovery through exploration of Folkestone\u2019s\nCoastlines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For\nactive folk, and great for a rainy family day out, visit the Indoor Snow Sports\nCentre<\/a>.\nThe indoor slope is 60 metres long and good for skiing, snowboarding and\ntobogganing, great to get the adrenaline pumping. Family friendly Quarter House Theatre<\/a> and the Kent\nBattle of Britain Museum<\/a> are also worth a visit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Visit\nthe Folke Life<\/a> website for more details\nof local events and be sure to check out the amusing family blog \u201cMeet The Wildes\u201d<\/a> for inspiration on\nfamily friendly activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Folkestone\nhas a great community spirit with a really welcoming, family friendly vibe.\nWhilst it can be very seasonal and busier in the seaside months, much like any\nseaside town, crime rates are fairly low all year round and are lower than\naverage for the Kent area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For\na full break down of the crime rates and safety in the area you can check out Folkestone\npage<\/a> of the Police UK\nwebsite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to know more?<\/strong>\n\nCheck out current\nproperties available in Folkestone here<\/a>.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\nTransport Links<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Leisure and Amenities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s On?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Safety and Crime<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dy36-2.stage.yopa-dev.co.uk\/homeowners-hub\/wp-content\/themes\/yopa\/assets\/images\/icon-house.svg\"){kind=icon}
<\/div>\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dy36-2.stage.yopa-dev.co.uk\/homeowners-hub\/wp-content\/themes\/yopa\/assets\/images\/icon-currency.svg\"){kind=icon}
<\/div>\n