Folkestone Downs
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| Area of Search | Kent |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TR171394 to TR235376 |
| Interest | Biological and Geological |
| Area | 269.5 hectares |
| Notification | 1951 |
| Location map | Natural England |
The Folkestone Downs are an area of chalk downland above Folkestone, where the eastern end of the North Downs escarpment meets the English Channel. The Downs are protected within the Folkestone to Etchinghill Escarpment SSSI due to their geological and biological interest.
Folkestone Downs stretch for 5 kilometres from East Cliff and Warren Country Park in the east to Peene Quarry in the west. The downs rise steeply above the town of Folkestone to heights in excess of 150 metres. The highest point is Dover Hill at 170 metres. The Channel Tunnel Terminal lies at the foot of the downs and the British portal is directly below the slopes of Castle Hill. The downland is classified as CG4 Brachypodium pinnatum and CG5 Bromus erectus - Brachypodium pinnatum calcareous grassland with smaller areas of CG2 Festuca ovina - Avenula pratensis grassland. There are also areas of scrubland and woodland.
Folkestone Downs is one of the largest areas of unimproved chalk downland in Kent. The extensive flora includes many typical species found in chalk grassland including horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepis comosa), squinancywort (Asperula cynanchica) and small scabious, as well as scarce species such as bedstraw broomrape (Orobanche caryophyllacea). Many species of orchid grow on the downs notably the nationally rare late spider orchid (Ophrys fuciflora) as well as the nationally scarce early spider orchid (Ophrys sphegodes) and man orchid (Aceras anthropophorum). The nationally scarce burnt orchid (Neotinea ustulata) has also been recorded in the past. Folkestone Downs is also notable for its extensive lichen flora.
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