Folkestone Downs facts for kids

The Folkestone Downs are a beautiful area of chalk hills located right above the town of Folkestone. This is where the eastern part of the North Downs hills meets the English Channel. A special part of these Downs is called the Folkestone to Etchinghill Escarpment. It's a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its amazing rocks and unique plants and animals.

Exploring the Folkestone Downs

The Folkestone Downs stretch for about 5 kilometres (about 3 miles). They go from East Cliff and Warren Country Park in the east to Peene Quarry in the west. These hills rise steeply above Folkestone, reaching heights of over 150 metres (about 500 feet). The very highest spot is Dover Hill, which is 170 metres (about 560 feet) tall.

At the bottom of these hills, you'll find the Channel Tunnel Terminal. This is where trains go into the famous tunnel that connects England and France. The British entrance to the tunnel is right below the slopes of Castle Hill. The land here is mostly made up of special types of chalk grassland. There are also smaller areas with bushes and trees.

Amazing Wildlife

The Folkestone Downs are home to many different kinds of plants and animals. It's one of the biggest areas of natural chalk grassland in Kent. This means the land hasn't been changed much by farming.

Plants of the Downs

You can find many typical plants that love chalky soil here. These include the horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepis comosa), squinancywort (Asperula cynanchica), and small scabious. There are also some rarer plants like the bedstraw broomrape (Orobanche caryophyllacea).

The Downs are especially famous for their many types of orchids. You might spot the nationally rare late spider orchid (Ophrys fuciflora). Other scarce orchids include the early spider orchid (Ophrys sphegodes) and the man orchid (Aceras anthropophorum). The nationally scarce burnt orchid (Neotinea ustulata) has also been seen here in the past. The Folkestone Downs are also known for their wide variety of lichens, which are tiny plant-like growths.

Animals of the Downs

The bushes and trees on the Downs provide homes for many different kinds of birds. But the Folkestone Downs are most famous for their amazing insects. Up to 32 different types of butterflies have been recorded here! Some of these include the beautiful Adonis blue (Lysandra bellargus), the chalkhill blue (Polyommatus coridon), and the tiny small blue (Cupido minimus).

Several rare types of moths also live on the Downs. These include the straw belle (Aspitates gilvaria) and the annulet moth (Charissa obscurata).

Who Looks After the Downs?

Most of the Folkestone Downs are owned by Eurotunnel, the company that runs the Channel Tunnel. The land is managed by the White Cliffs Countryside Project.

After the Second World War, farmers stopped letting their animals graze on the Downs. This meant that rougher grasses and bushes started to take over. This led to fewer types of the special chalk grassland plants. The problem got worse in the 1950s when a disease called myxomatosis greatly reduced the number of rabbits, who also helped keep the grass short.

To help the grassland recover, cattle grazing started again in 1990. This helps to keep the rougher plants from growing too much. Most of the Downs are now considered "open access" land. This means that people can freely walk and explore these beautiful hills, thanks to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.