Folkestone
Folkestone is a coastal resort town in the Shepway district of Kent, England. Hovercraft and ferry services formerly connected the town to both Boulogne and Calais in France, together with the still present Channel Tunnel. Satellite towns include Capel-Le-Ferne, Hythe and Hawkinge
History
Folkestone was once a "limb" of the Cinque Port of Dover, until in 1629 the local inhabitants obtained a licence to build a port.At the end of the 18th century the city became prosperous because of an increase in the fishing and shipping industries and in the middle of the 19th century Folkestone was one of the chief resorts of southern England, much added by the construction of the railway line from London. Numerous victorian Hotels, including "The Grande" and "Metropole" are testament to this, together with no less than three railway stations.
The now closed Folkestone East train station was used almost exclusively for shipping, indeed the Orient Express still runs through Folkestone, though no longer are the trains lifted onto ships.
Much of such development was intimately linked to the Radnor family, which owned, and still owns, a large amount of the town and surrounding land, reflected by several local bye laws, including those banning in some areas the owning of poultry.
It was seriously damaged by bombs in both World Wars, as its proximity to the Continent, allowed shelling to take place.
After the world wars, and to some extent slight beforehand, Folkestone fell into a decline. Shipping suffered greatly, with competition from neighbouring port Dover, and to some extent Ramsgate, together with the construction of the nearby Channel Tunnel, which has run as of 1994, leading to the gradual reduction and eventual cancellation of all shipping services.
Further, the rise of foreign holiday destination, added in no small way by the package holiday, damaged Folkestone tourism business immeasurably.
As alluded to above Folkestone was at one stage a resort town with a developed shipping trade. With the decline of such industries others have filled the gap.
During the 80's and 90's the construction of the Channel Tunnel provided employment for many, as well as bringing many to the area, and on completion the running of service still provides work for many. The Chanel Tunnel Rail Link is still in development, and the new high speed rail link to London, planned for 2007 may give the town another boost.
Folkestone is also the home of several insurance firms, some of which used to be involved in the shipping trade but have since diversified into other fields.
Folkestone and Hythe are represented in Parliament by Conservative Michael Howard, the former Home Secretary, and present Leader of the Conservative Party.Industry