This guide helps you plan time in Folkestone: a harbour jetty, a town museum, a landslip coastline, a coastal park, the town’s public art and, inland at Hawkinge, an aviation museum. The cards below link to each place’s InKent page. InKent lists Hawkinge under Folkestone. Dates in this guide are as listed on 29 October 2026.
Folkestone Harbour Arm
The Harbour Arm is a long stone jetty on Harbour Approach Road that was reopened to the public after restoration, in 2014 according to Visit Kent and in 2015 according to Folkestone Museum. It now holds food and drink traders, a lighthouse bar and regular events. The operator says it is open for promenading daily, with trader and event hours varying through the week, so check before you go. Dogs are welcome on a lead. The operator says most of the harbour can be reached by wheelchair or mobility scooter using ramps and slopes, that the boardwalk is not recommended for them, and that accessible toilets are at Harbour Station, The Goods Yard and Platform 4. No entry charge is listed.
Folkestone Museum
Folkestone Museum is in the Town Hall at 1-2 Guildhall Street, which Folkestone Town Council bought in 2011 and where it installed the museum. Its own site lists free entry, with donations welcome, and opening Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, last entry 3.30pm. Visit Folkestone and Hythe lists Monday to Saturday on a seasonal basis, so the two differ and the museum’s own times are the safer ones. The front entrance on Guildhall Street is step-free with a ramp, and there is a lift between floors and an accessible toilet on the lower ground floor. The museum also lists a step-free rear entrance on Market Place, with help if you call ahead, but says the rear approach is cobbled and uneven and recommends the front entrance.
East Cliff and Warren Country Park
The park east of the town is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Local Nature Reserve formed by landslips. Near the town it has lawns, a playground and Martello towers. Further east, The Warren has steep slopes, coastal walks, rockpooling and fossil hunting. The Warren has uneven surfaces, steps and steep slopes, although Kent Downs says at least one accessible route exists. The district council advises using the East Cliff Pavilion car park, and there is also a small on-site car park reached by an unmade track. Kent Downs lists the park as open all hours and the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership as open 24 hours. No entry charge is listed.
Lower Leas Coastal Park
The Lower Leas Coastal Park runs between Folkestone and Sandgate. Folkestone and Hythe District Council says it has held a Green Flag Award every year since 2007. The council lists a 350-seat amphitheatre, picnic areas, a cafe, toilets, a labyrinth and a Zig Zag path. The council’s news item of 31 July 2026 says the refurbished coastal play area, which it calls the south east’s largest free adventure playground, had opened after a £750,000 rebuild, and its park page carried no closure notice when we checked on 29 October 2026. Dogs are allowed on leads in designated areas, barbecues are not allowed, and the coastal park car park is closed overnight. The park is open on foot at all hours.
Folkestone Artworks and the Mermaid
Folkestone Artworks is the permanent public art collection built up through the Folkestone Triennial and Creative Folkestone, with 74 artworks by 46 artists across the town and seafront, according to Creative Folkestone. Creative Folkestone and the district’s tourism site both describe it as free and accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It names Rana Begum’s work on around 120 beach huts and Richard Woods’ Holiday Home. Check Creative Folkestone for a map of the sites.
The Folkestone Mermaid, by Cornelia Parker, is a life-size sculpture at the end of The Stade overlooking Sunny Sands. It was made for the 2011 Folkestone Triennial, its model was chosen through an open call to women over 18 living in Folkestone, and it was acquired with Art Fund support. It is outdoors at all times.
Kent Battle of Britain Museum, Hawkinge
The Kent Battle of Britain Museum is on the former Hawkinge airfield, on Aerodrome Road, and is run as a trust. On 29 October 2026 its site listed the 2026 season as running to Sunday 8 November, with opening Tuesday to Sunday and bank holiday Mondays, 10am to 4pm in October and November, last entry one hour before closing. No pre-booking is needed. The site lists adults at £12, seniors (60 and over) at £11 and children (5 to 15) at £5, and free on-site parking. It had not published winter opening, so check before you go after 8 November. The museum says it is wheelchair and mobility scooter friendly, with disabled parking next to the entrance.
Choosing between them
- Indoors with step-free access: Folkestone Museum and the Kent Battle of Britain Museum.
- Coast and views: the Harbour Arm, the Lower Leas and East Cliff and Warren.
- Rough ground: The Warren is uneven and steep, with steps.
- Art outdoors: the Folkestone Artworks and the Mermaid, with no opening times to work around.
- With a dog: the Harbour Arm and the Lower Leas allow dogs on leads.
Planning the day
Check the museum days first: Folkestone Museum opens Tuesday to Saturday, and the Kent Battle of Britain Museum closes after Sunday 8 November until it publishes winter dates. We have no distances between the places, so check a map before deciding what to walk. The Mermaid is on The Stade, and the Harbour Arm is on Harbour Approach Road.
Getting there
The Harbour Arm’s operator says parking is on site and in nearby car parks, and the district council advises the East Cliff Pavilion car park for The Warren. Use the operators’ journey planners for current train and bus services.
Frequently asked questions
Is Folkestone Museum free?
Yes. The museum’s own site lists free entry, with donations welcome.
Is the Kent Battle of Britain Museum open in winter?
Its 2026 season runs to Sunday 8 November, and it had not published winter opening when this guide was checked on 29 October 2026. Check its website before travelling.
Can I use the Lower Leas play area?
Yes. Folkestone and Hythe District Council’s news item of 31 July 2026 says the refurbished play area had opened, with an official launch on 4 August, and describes it as free to use. The council’s park page showed no closure notice on 29 October 2026.