Folkestone Harbour Arm — Attraction in Folkestone and Hythe District

My second visit to the Folkestone Harbour arm was on a misty Easter Sunday, early in the morning.

This time I avoided the Harbour Arm Car Park with it's App based Parking. Upon the last visit, I ended up paying (by mistake) the parking fee of someone else who had given up trying to pay and didn't cancel their transaction.

Luckily on this visit I got into one of the other car parks by the harbour which still has the traditional pay in cash ticket machines.

Upon this visit, much was still closed down of the various bars and market stalls, with just a few places to eat and get a drink just opening up.

It was quite eerie as the sounds of fishing boat engines could be heard, then suddenly come into view as they passed close to the harbour arm.

When fully open, the harbour arm becomes a busy place with plenty of bars and places to eat, plus a market area. Also some fishing is allowed from the harbour arm.

As for the old railway station, that too has been redeveloped with the old signal box becoming a bar.

It's not too far from the Cultural Quarter as well situated in Folkestone's Old High Street. This itself has an eclectic mix of vintage, gift shops, galleries and bars/restaurants.

Folkestone has certainly change since the old days of the amusement arcade and fun fair on the beach, along with the old Sunday Market.

With the loss of the ferry terminal and railway station on the harbour arm, Folkestone has re-invented itself as a place...

Folkestone Harbour Arm is an incredible place. It has become so vibrant and inviting over the years. Depends on which side you enter, but you have a large outdoor cinema screen which shows films, and sport events, in a square of multiple food vendors with various foods from fish and chips to Asian food, from pizza to Greek. The food is cooked fresh to order and is tasty! There are some gluten free options at some vendors. The seating areas are plenty, with umbrellas and heaters if it's cold. As you walk through you enter the market place where there is an array of shops selling a variety of items, all independent businesses. Keep walking through you arrive at the Harbourside Square which has more food outlets such as The Meatshack and Minutas at Harbourside and some independent huts, like the one pictured, which is Emily Charlotte Bakes, a cake shop, with brownies, blondies, cake jar and brownie pots. Definitely one to look out for after a nice lunch! Every weekend from 4pm is live entertainment which really gets the vibe going. As you continue to walk through to the arm, you have a merry go round, more independent food outlets, a bar/restaurant and at the end the lighthouse with a cafe. There's ice cream available, coffee and breakfast as well!

The whole experience is great, it's got the beach on one side and the beautiful sea and scenery on the other. It's a lovely day and you really could spend the whole day and not experience...

The investment afforded the harbour arm, redundant railway station and now overflowing onto the beach makes this area a really interesting and exciting place to visit. Dut to moving up north, it had been several years since I last visited the harbour arm, when the redevelopment project had only just started. Now its all finished, and what a brilliant space it is to visit. The harbour arm still has the lovely champagne bar at the end, which had excellent live music. There are even more food shacks, each serving different cultural cuisines, & bar shacks, even ex double-decker bus offering greek food. Live music was being played at 2 places along the arm, with lots of people milling between food, drinks & music, creating a lovely atmosphere. The station, at the base of the arm, is all finished & offers a little community of individual shops & big screen, open air viewing area. The shops are independents, each selling different 'stuff' & many arts-n-crafts based. The back of the railway station spills out on to the stoney beach, where different restaurants have set up with open air, trendy sitting areas directly on the beach. So you can eat while looking out to sea. Overall, this is a really interesting & very trendy place to visit, and I'd certainly recommend it as it can't be beaten on a...