East Cliff and Warren Country Park
| East Cliff and Warren Country Park | |
|---|---|
Warren Country Park
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| Coordinates | 51°06′01″N 1°13′10″E / 51.1002°N 1.2194°ECoordinates: 51°06′01″N 1°13′10″E / 51.1002°N 1.2194°E |
| Area | 299 acres (121 ha) |
| Created | 1924 |
| Operated by | Folkestone Town Council, |
| Status | Open 7 days a week, dawn until dusk |
| Website | East Cliff and Warren County Park |
East Cliff and Warren Country Park is in Folkestone, in Kent, England. This country park is formed of the East Cliffs of Folkestone, the sandy beaches of East Wear Bay and the land-slipped nature reserve land between the cliffs and the sea.
On the east cliffs, are three Martello Towers. These were built on the cliffs in 1804-09 to protect against the French invasion of Napoleon. Number 3, since 1990 is used as a Martello Tower visitor centre by Shepway Council. Beside it is an information panel describing the Roman villa ruins on the site. In 1875 until 1892, near Martello Tower 1, was a public house called the Warren Inn. it closed after it people were caught drinking after hours. The Earl of Radnor had it closed, as it was on his land. The east cliffs were popular with Victorians who picnicked on the grassy meadows of the cliffs before heading down towards the sandy beaches. The area was popular with burrowing rabbits and was named informally 'The Warren'.
In 1884, the South East Main Line railway was built from Ashford to Folkestone and then onwards to Dover, through the Warren. Folkestone Warren Halt railway station was opened in 1886, and a bridge was built over the Main Line leading to a gate on to The Warren from which the public could picnic and enjoy the dramatic scenery in the area. Also a zig-zag path led down the East Cliff to the station.
In December 1915, a large landslip resulted in the entire undercliff supporting the Main Line moved towards the sea causing approximately 1.5 million cubic metres of chalk to slip or fall burying Warren Halt and the railway line. Fortunately, no-one was hurt in the occurrence. This was one of the largest landslides in Kent. The station and the line were closed until 1919.
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