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Sandgate Castle 1539
Attractions in Folkestone

Sandgate Castle 1539 and more: what to see in Folkestone

There are 2 places to visit inside Folkestone’s built-up area, and 8 more within 5 km of its edge. On the list: 5 museums, 4 castles and an attraction, among others. For a longer trip, Canterbury Cathedral lies 22 km away.

Photo: Sandgate Castle 1539, The original uploader was Jamesedits at English Wikipedia. (Public domain)
In Folkestone
2
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
8
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
5
in or near town
Castles & historic places
4
in or near town
Best known

The first to see in Folkestone

3 museums and 2 castles follow Sandgate Castle 1539.

CastleSandgate Castle 1539in townMuseumFolkestone Museumin townCastleSaltwood Castle1.5 km outside town, to the westMuseumThe Wing800 m outside town, to the northeastCastleWestenhanger Castle4.8 km outside town, to the westMuseumKent Battle of Britain Museum1.5 km outside town, to the north

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

How they lie

To the west lie most of the 8 nearby.

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The dashed line is Folkestone’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

What there is to see

5 are museums or galleries; castles or historic places come next with 4.

Museums & galleries 5 museums1 in town · 4 nearby
Castles & historic places 4 castles1 in town · 3 nearby
Other attractions 1 attraction0 in town · 1 nearby

Green: inside Folkestone. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

Every place

The list in full

2 in town lead, with 8 more within 5 km of its edge after them.

The Wing

Museum · 800 m outside town, to the northeast

WWII memorial in Kent, England.

Run by Battle of Britain Memorial Trust
About The Wing →

The 2 inside Folkestone come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

226 listed buildings and 7 scheduled monuments are on Folkestone’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Folkestone →

Big names nearby

Further afield

Start with Canterbury Cathedral, 22 km off, the best known of 12.

CathedralCanterbury Cathedral22 km northCastle · English HeritageDover Castle12 km northeastAbbey or priory · English HeritageSaint Augustine's Abbey22 km northCastleLympne Castle10 km westCastle · English HeritageDeal Castle22 km northeastCastle · English HeritageWalmer Castle21 km northeastHeritage railwayRomney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway13 km southwestCastleCanterbury Castle22 km northMuseumDover Bronze Age Boat11 km eastZooPort Lympne Reserve11 km westFort · English HeritageDover Western Heights10 km eastAbbey or priory · English HeritageSwingfield Preceptory7.6 km north

Places well known beyond Folkestone (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Before a day out in Folkestone

What are the main attractions in Folkestone?

The best known inside Folkestone’s built-up area are Sandgate Castle 1539 and Folkestone Museum. In all, 2 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 8 more within 5 km.

Does Folkestone have a museum?

5 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Folkestone: Folkestone Museum, The Wing, Kent Battle of Britain Museum and Railway Museum.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Folkestone?

None within 5 km. The nearest well-known one on our list is Dover Castle (English Heritage), 12 km northeast.

What are the best-known days out near Folkestone?

Within 40 km: Canterbury Cathedral (22 km), Dover Castle (12 km), Saint Augustine's Abbey (22 km), Lympne Castle (10 km).

Where are Folkestone’s historic buildings listed?

Folkestone has 226 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Folkestone when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (19)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.