Walking from Folkestone to Dover - failed to complete the whole trail due to accident
Folkestone
This is on my list: walk from Folkestone to Dover — the two coastal towns in southeast Kent, England. On my recent trip of Folkestone, I tried to walk to and stay in Dover on my second night. However, I couldn’t complete it.
The distance from Folkestone to Dover is around 14-15km, and the whole path is dirt mainly not concrete but shouldn’t be difficult to finish.
Walking in winter under 8c with sun was not cold, but the daytime in February is still short that I needed to start walking just after checkout in the hotel (around 11am) and aimed to slowly complete before going dark (around 4:45pm).
Knowing there is also a path along the coast, I still chose to go up the cliff because there was landslides on the way, and the coastal path is far away alternative routes and transport so I simply follow the route suggested by Strava, which is supposed to be safe because many people have passed through that road.
The view along the path is great. Beware that energy is needed to go uphill and most of the paths are without shade that when you walk during summer you have to carry your own sunscreen.
Sunny winter should not be bad ideas. If the temperature is not so low like 0c, and the weather is sunny, I can still sweat so I will have to remove some clothes.
But I also learn the lesson that paths in the shade can be very muddy that I fell several times and my clothes, shoes and backpack became full of mud as a result. My both palms bled a little bit because when falling to the ground they were hurt by the stems of trees on the side. I had to return.
Thankfully there was a main road allowing vehicles along the trail so I could just go there and wait for a bus to Dover. I was so dirty at that moment, and just stood onboard trying not to make the bus dirty, but it seems like the drivers and passengers don’t care.
The same thinking for the hotel I stayed: I asked the staff member if there were toilets at the reception floor, and he unlocked for me to help myself. Except the pant and a thin jacket, I was able to clean my backpack and down jacket. I could easily remove all the mud on my running shoes too, but they need to be dried. Then I checked in and continued cleaning my pants and dried other stuff for the remaining afternoon.
Looking back the map, I could have alternative paths so at least I could go to the main road first. However, I was already dirty and I didn’t know how many muddy paths I would meet for the remaining trail. If I met them again, would I still be lucky to get on the bus or unfortunately trapped in the mud. If you watch a film called Green Border, refugees could die of drowning and suffocating in very wet mud in the forest. What if you don’t believe? Mud can kill!
I will come back: Folkestone to Dover!
I started at 11am.
The starting point: the bandstand
Walked along the Zig Zag Path down to the beach.
One of the artworks in Folkestone
The path along the beach
The previous platform of Folkestone Harbour station which has become a public space
The harbour
Sunny Sands Beach
Another artwork
Martello Tower 3
White Cliffs
Looking back the whole view of Folkestone when walking up
There is a museum and cafe called Battle of Britain Memorial.
The stunning view just before the accident
My footprint this time
Back to Folkestone by bus
As I needed to go back to Folkestone first due to my open return train ticket I purchased, I took the local bus back.
The transport between Folkestone and Dover is convenient because local bus runs every 15 minutes with only 30-min journey. The view is great too!
As of 2025 the local bus in England are being subsidised by the government resulting in single trip cap fare of £3.
