Surprisingly trendy seaside town that claims to have ‘the only sandy beach an hour from London’
A SEASIDE town that is on the up for being one of the trendiest places has a lesser-known sandy beach.
Most of Kent is lacking in sandy beaches, with Folkestone being no different.
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The main beach of Folkestone – named one of the best places to live as an up-and-coming seaside town – is shingle, so building sandcastles is out.
But away from the main sands is Sunny Sands beach, tucked behind the converted Harbour Arms.
It claims to be the only sandy beach within an hour of London, with trains from St Pancras taking around 55 minutes.
Then a short walk or bus from the station, Sunny Sands is under the promenade tunnels where you can find some shade too.
While there are other stretches of sand, such as at Ruislip Lido, that are closer, this is the nearest sandy beach that is on the sea, rather than a lake.
It is also home to the Folkestone Mermaid, which is similar to the one in Copenhagen.
It is often overlooked in favour of the main beach due to the lack of facilities.
Most of the bars, cafes and shops are along the shingle beach, so make sure to pack some snacks if heading over.
Make sure to check the tides before arriving too – the beach completely disappears during high tide, which is around six hours.
You can only walk along the promenade until the sea goes back out again.
Dogs are also only allowed on the beach from October to April.
The beach is also much smaller than the main beach, so during the busy summer expect to find crowds.
Folkestone is an up-and-coming seaside town in Kent, joining the likes of Margate and Whitstable.
A new attraction is opening next year too.
The town’s funicular, which first opened 138-years ago, is set to reopen after closing back in 2017.
Along with amazing views, it will connect people from the cliff to the beach.
Also in Folkestone is the Folkestone Warren, which has been dubbed one of the most beautiful places on earth.
What is Folkestone like?
The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey lives in Folkestone – here’s what it’s really like:
“The latest Best Places to Live in 2024 study by the Times named Folkestone as the best in the south east – my new hometown.
“There is the Harbour Arm, with trendy bars and eateries ranging from Japanese to Mexican, or the multicoloured high street with local cafes and shops.
“There are amazing local vineyards and breweries, although I can hop on the Channel Tunnel and be in France within 35 minutes if I fancied a cheap booze run.
“It even has F51, the worlds first multi storey skate park with climbing wall too.
“It’s even been dubbed the new Brighton, thanks to the London high speed train and bustling LGBTQ+ community although with much cheaper house prices.
“For me, it’s become a place where I’ve met some amazing new people as well as improved my work-life balance and found a new start.”
Here’s what it’s like to have lived in both Margate and Folkestone.
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