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The Great Britain Guide

Castles · South East England

Folkestone Castle

Norman & medieval♿ Wheelchair: limited

Folkestone Castle — castle in Folkestone, Kent, England, UK.

Folkestone Castle, castles in Kent

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
Nearest railway station
Folkestone West · 1.6 km
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Folkestone Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1095. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in Folkestone, Kent, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.0985°, 1.1608°.

Photo gallery

Heritage listing

Folkestone Castle stood on a spur of the North Downs to the north of the town of Folkestone, Kent (grid reference TR214380). The Norman castle existed in the late 11th and 12th centuries and was built on a natural mound which. It was excavated in 1878 by Augustus Pitt Rivers and this has been claimed to be the first excavation of a medieval site in Britain using scientific methods. Known locally as "Caesar's Camp", it is not actually Roman at all, but was probably constructed as early as 1095 and was certainly occupied for some time following the Norman invasion. The hill on which it stands is known as Castle Hill and it affords splendid views over the town and coast, from Folkestone across Romney Marsh to Dungeness, Rye and Fairlight.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Folkestone to Etchinghill Escarpment SSSI
  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Kent Downs

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Folkestone Castle stood on a spur of the North Downs to the north of the town of Folkestone, Kent (grid reference TR214380). The Norman castle existed in the late 11th and 12th centuries and was built on a natural mound which. It was excavated in 1878 by Augustus Pitt Rivers and this has been claimed to be the first excavation of a medieval site in Britain using scientific methods. Known locally as "Caesar's Camp", it is not actually Roman at all, but was probably constructed as early as 1095 and was certainly occupied for some time following the Norman invasion. The hill on which it stands is known as Castle Hill and it affords splendid views over the town and coast, from Folkestone across Romney Marsh to Dungeness, Rye and Fairlight. The earthworks now overlook the end of the M20 motorway and the entrance to the Channel Tunnel at Cheriton.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Coordinates
51.0985, 1.1608
County
Kent
Parish
Folkestone
Postcode
CT19 4QB
Parliamentary constituency
Folkestone and Hythe
Established
1095
Nearest railway station
Folkestone West1.6 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Folkestone Castle?
Folkestone Castle is in Kent, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode CT19 4QB), in the parish of Folkestone.
When was Folkestone Castle built?
Built or established in 1095.
Is Folkestone Castle a listed building?
Folkestone Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
Is Folkestone Castle a protected site?
Yes — Folkestone Castle is part of the Folkestone to Etchinghill Escarpment SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Kent Downs National Landscape (AONB).
Does Folkestone Castle charge admission?
Folkestone Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
How do I get to Folkestone Castle?
The nearest railway station is Folkestone West, about 1.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CT19 4QB.