A Cemetery Tour with Afternoon Tea

A guided tour by Friends of Folkestone Old Cemetery.

ABOUT THE TOUR

With so many Folkestone residents laid to rest in the cemetery, there are naturally many stories to be uncovered.  Join us to have a stroll around the cemetery to hear some of these stories, find some well-known local names and see the flora and fauna.

After the tour, we will head over the road to Folkestone Bowls Centre for Afternoon Tea at 4pm.  Should the weather be inclement, we will have an indoor talk in the Bowls Centre in place of the tour.

ONLINE BOOKING ESSENTIAL!  Please book by 20 July to secure your place.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Following concern about how badly some of the graves in the Cheriton Road cemetery had been neglected, Friends of Folkestone Old Cemetery was established in January 2016 to safeguard, preserve and foster interest in the Victorian cemetery.  It is a voluntary group that meets in the cemetery for work sessions from 10.30am until 1.30pm.  They also survey, record, restore and clean Commonwealth War Graves and memorials in the cemetery, research the histories of those buried in the cemetery and create areas of sanctuary for wildlife, flora and fauna within the grounds – as well as other projects involving the history and natural habitat of the cemetery.

For more information or to become a Friend, visit their website.

ABOUT THE VENUE

The Old Folkestone Cemetery in Cheriton Road was opened in 1856 and has around 15,000 graves – many with double burials.  It hosts 45 Commonwealth War Graves and three Victoria Cross recipients.  There is a Cross of Sacrifice and two Grade II Listed memorials – one for the Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry) and another to the crew of the German Warship SMS Grosser Kurfürst, which sank near Folkestone in 1878.

TRAVEL TO THE VENUE

By Bus:

The venue is served by the Cemetery stop heading from Folkestone to Cheriton, and the Harvey Grammar School stop heading towards the town centre.  Routes 71, 71A and 17 operate between Folkestone Bus Station and these stops.

For timetables, to book tickets and to check for any journey delays or cancellations, visit the Stagecoach website or download the app.

By Car:

There are free parking bays on the road next to the cemetery.  Alternatively, you can park for free in the sports ground car park to the left of the Bowls Centre or the Three Hills car park.

By Train:

Take the train to Folkestone West station.  If coming from Dover, use the underpass to reach the other exit (or leave the station and bear left onto Beachborough Road).  From the Station Road side (trains from London towards Dover), turn right on exiting the station and continue down Station Road, turning left onto Beachborough Road.  Walk down Beachborough Road, turn right at the crossroads onto Cheriton Road and continue walking until you see the cemetery entrance.

For timetables, to book tickets and to check for any journey delays or cancellations, visit the Southeastern website.

BOOKING TICKETS

Tickets will only be available in advance.  Booking is open until 20 July.

To guarantee your place, book on Ticketsource without fees by clicking the ticket below.