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History of Folkestone
51°05′N 1°10′E / 51.08°N 1.16°E
The history of Folkestone stretches back to ancient times, with evidence of human habitation dating to the Mesolithic and Paleolithic ages over 12,000 years ago. Its close proximity to the Continent means that it has often been a point of transit for migrating peoples. The area has successively been occupied by groups of Britons, Romans and Saxons. During the Iron Age, a large oppidum and quern-stone workshop were situated on the eastern headlands of the bay. By the Roman era, it had been transformed into a large Roman Villa overlooking the sea.
During the Anglo-Saxon period, Folkestone was part of the Kingdom of Kent. After the Norman Invasion, a Norman knight held the Barony of Folkestone, by which time the settlement had become a fishing village. In the 13th century, it became part of the Cinque Ports, and had the privileges of a wealthy trading port. By the start of the Tudor period it had become a town in its own right. Wars with France meant that defences had to be built here; and plans for Folkestone Harbour were made. At the beginning of the 18th century, the harbour finally became a reality, and Folkestone, like most settlements on the south coast, became involved in smuggling. However, it was the coming of the railways in mid-19th century that were the making of the town's prosperity: with it came the tourist trade, and the two industries, port and seaside resort, benefited the town until changes in tourist opportunities in the mid 20th century brought about its present somewhat depleted fortunes.
Folkestone's history has been shaped by its location within the natural landscape. It sits near the North Downs Trackway, which provided a natural track from the narrowest part of the English Channel to the important religious complexes at Avebury and Stonehenge in Wiltshire, where it is known as the Harroway. The entire area around Folkestone sits on a thick band of gault clay overlying the Lower Greensand which forms the underlying structure of southeast Britain. The greensand was laid down during the Lower Cretaceous period, and is rich in ichnofauna. The exposed greensand at Folkestone is a unique feature of the area, and is referred to as the Folkestone Formation or the Folkestone Beds. Unfortunately for historians and archaeologists alike, the greensand stone is loose unconsolidated sandstone, and the gault clay is nearly liquid at the point where it meets the greenstone, so that there may have been significant erosion and possible loss of prehistoric sites over the years. It is estimated that the cliffs at Folkestone have eroded by around 400–500 metres since Roman times, and that cliffs are crumbling at a rate of 6 inches (15 cm0) per year.
While the nature of the cliffs in Folkestone means that much archaeological evidence has been lost to the sea, evidence has been found that points to settlement in the area as far back as 8000 BC, during the Neolithic era. During excavations at the Folkestone Roman Villa site in 2010, archaeologists discovered worked flints dating to the period, establishing proof of human presence in Folkestone at that time. Tools dating to the Palaeolithic have also been discovered at the Bayle in Folkestone, and there is evidence of a palaeolithic settlement at nearby Castle Hill (also known as Caesar's Encampment, though there is no evidence of Roman activity at this site).
On the outskirts of Folkestone, an important Bronze Age site was found at Holywell Coombe between 1987 and 1988, in advance of the building of the Channel Tunnel. Findings included roundhouses, fields, trackways, and pottery fragments.
During the Iron Age, an extensive pre-Roman native settlement existed on the eastern headland of the bay, at what has come to be known as the East Wear Bay Site, or the Roman Villa Site. Beneath the remains of the Roman era villa lie the remains of a much older Iron Age oppidum that also served as a quern-stone production center. Quern-stones, or stones used to grind cereals into flour, were produced here on almost an industrial scale, using the local greensand stone from the Folkestone formation. Over 200 querns have been recovered from the site, and most of them appear to have been discarded at some point during the process of production. Many have partially worked surfaces, or appear to have cracked during the hole boring stage. In addition to the numerous broken or unfinished querns, a layer of the excavation strata at the Villa/opidum site is entirely composed of greensand dust, which is almost certainly stone-working debris, suggesting that this was the location of the Iron Age era quern workshop.
Folkestone querns have been found in numerous other archaeological excavations throughout the greater Kent[clarification needed] area and beyond, suggesting that the Iron Age residents had widespread trading connections. Querns have been found in local Kentish sites such as Wingham, and Dosset Court in Upper Deal, as well as more distant locations such as Hunbury (Northants), London, Essex, and possibly France. Archaeological evidence suggests that in return for the querns, the inhabitants received fine pottery from Gaul and wine from Italy.
History of Folkestone
51°05′N 1°10′E / 51.08°N 1.16°E
The history of Folkestone stretches back to ancient times, with evidence of human habitation dating to the Mesolithic and Paleolithic ages over 12,000 years ago. Its close proximity to the Continent means that it has often been a point of transit for migrating peoples. The area has successively been occupied by groups of Britons, Romans and Saxons. During the Iron Age, a large oppidum and quern-stone workshop were situated on the eastern headlands of the bay. By the Roman era, it had been transformed into a large Roman Villa overlooking the sea.
During the Anglo-Saxon period, Folkestone was part of the Kingdom of Kent. After the Norman Invasion, a Norman knight held the Barony of Folkestone, by which time the settlement had become a fishing village. In the 13th century, it became part of the Cinque Ports, and had the privileges of a wealthy trading port. By the start of the Tudor period it had become a town in its own right. Wars with France meant that defences had to be built here; and plans for Folkestone Harbour were made. At the beginning of the 18th century, the harbour finally became a reality, and Folkestone, like most settlements on the south coast, became involved in smuggling. However, it was the coming of the railways in mid-19th century that were the making of the town's prosperity: with it came the tourist trade, and the two industries, port and seaside resort, benefited the town until changes in tourist opportunities in the mid 20th century brought about its present somewhat depleted fortunes.
Folkestone's history has been shaped by its location within the natural landscape. It sits near the North Downs Trackway, which provided a natural track from the narrowest part of the English Channel to the important religious complexes at Avebury and Stonehenge in Wiltshire, where it is known as the Harroway. The entire area around Folkestone sits on a thick band of gault clay overlying the Lower Greensand which forms the underlying structure of southeast Britain. The greensand was laid down during the Lower Cretaceous period, and is rich in ichnofauna. The exposed greensand at Folkestone is a unique feature of the area, and is referred to as the Folkestone Formation or the Folkestone Beds. Unfortunately for historians and archaeologists alike, the greensand stone is loose unconsolidated sandstone, and the gault clay is nearly liquid at the point where it meets the greenstone, so that there may have been significant erosion and possible loss of prehistoric sites over the years. It is estimated that the cliffs at Folkestone have eroded by around 400–500 metres since Roman times, and that cliffs are crumbling at a rate of 6 inches (15 cm0) per year.
While the nature of the cliffs in Folkestone means that much archaeological evidence has been lost to the sea, evidence has been found that points to settlement in the area as far back as 8000 BC, during the Neolithic era. During excavations at the Folkestone Roman Villa site in 2010, archaeologists discovered worked flints dating to the period, establishing proof of human presence in Folkestone at that time. Tools dating to the Palaeolithic have also been discovered at the Bayle in Folkestone, and there is evidence of a palaeolithic settlement at nearby Castle Hill (also known as Caesar's Encampment, though there is no evidence of Roman activity at this site).
On the outskirts of Folkestone, an important Bronze Age site was found at Holywell Coombe between 1987 and 1988, in advance of the building of the Channel Tunnel. Findings included roundhouses, fields, trackways, and pottery fragments.
During the Iron Age, an extensive pre-Roman native settlement existed on the eastern headland of the bay, at what has come to be known as the East Wear Bay Site, or the Roman Villa Site. Beneath the remains of the Roman era villa lie the remains of a much older Iron Age oppidum that also served as a quern-stone production center. Quern-stones, or stones used to grind cereals into flour, were produced here on almost an industrial scale, using the local greensand stone from the Folkestone formation. Over 200 querns have been recovered from the site, and most of them appear to have been discarded at some point during the process of production. Many have partially worked surfaces, or appear to have cracked during the hole boring stage. In addition to the numerous broken or unfinished querns, a layer of the excavation strata at the Villa/opidum site is entirely composed of greensand dust, which is almost certainly stone-working debris, suggesting that this was the location of the Iron Age era quern workshop.
Folkestone querns have been found in numerous other archaeological excavations throughout the greater Kent[clarification needed] area and beyond, suggesting that the Iron Age residents had widespread trading connections. Querns have been found in local Kentish sites such as Wingham, and Dosset Court in Upper Deal, as well as more distant locations such as Hunbury (Northants), London, Essex, and possibly France. Archaeological evidence suggests that in return for the querns, the inhabitants received fine pottery from Gaul and wine from Italy.
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