Folkestone to Dover: A 7-Mile Coastal Walk on the Saxon Shore Way
The walk from Folkestone to Dover along the Saxon Shore Way is one of the most scenic coastal hikes in Kent. It’s about 7 miles (11 km) long and you’ll get some dramatic views across the channel as well as see quite a lot of defensive fortifications and war heritage sites, including Martello Towers, Sound Mirror, War Memorial and Western Heights.
I’ve done this walk in late summer and it was amazing experience. We got the views, the wind and the sun and mostly dry path to walk on – just a perfect day!
Folkestone to Dover Walk Info
DISTANCE: 15 km (including walk from Folkestone Train station)
STARTING POINT: Folkestone (Wear Bay Road)
FINISHING POINT: Dover – centre (plus Dover Priory train station – Folkestone Central & 30 minutes walk back up to Wear Bay Road)
WALK MARKING: The path is well marked as Saxon Shore Way or Coastal Path and there are only few places where you can go slightly wrong if you don’t look out for the official signage.
DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate (mainly flat, some up & down sections, one or two very steep, but there are steps)
TERRAIN & ASCENT: The path is reasonably well-maintained, but can be quite narrow and full of blackberry bushes and nettles in places. Most of the time you will be also walking on the top of the cliffs, so it can get windy and there is no shade.
WALKING TIME: approximately 4 hrs and 45 minutes plus time for breaks and sightseeing
FACILITIES: There are plenty of plenty of cafes, pubs, restaurants and takeaways in Folkestone and Dover, but on the actual walk, there are only two cafes along the way – at the War Memorial and the Eagle Gap – both towards the start of the walk.
TOILETS: Seasonal toilets (Easter – September) are at the Folkestone Beach and close to Martello Towers as you walk up. There are also facilities at both cafes and then in Dover.
PARKING: Wear Bay Road – above the Princess Parade and the Folkestone beach (Free)
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Why I decided to walk the path in this direction?
This walk can be easily done in any direction, meaning you can start in Dover and finish in Folkestone. I think that makes a lot of sense if you are getting to the start of the walk by train. Folkestone is much nicer town to finish the walk and there are plenty of places where you can eat or just have a fish & chips on the beach.
The reason why I walked this section of Saxon Shore Way from Folkestone to Dover is that I knew where to park my car in Folkestone and wanted to avoid the heavy road traffic to Dover as it was the main school summer holidays.
The train from Dover to Folkestone at the end of the walk was only 10 minutes, so I finished the walk in Dover, but spend the rest of the evening in Folkestone before heading home.
The other great benefit I’ve noticed whilst walking the path in this direction is that you have the sun in the back all the way, which makes it much easier to take photos or not to squint into the sun all day!
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What to pack with you
The walk is quite exposed, so hat, sunglasses, neckwarmer and long trousers or leggings are a must (for me anyway…), plus light jacket just in case it starts to rain or it’s too windy.
I also always bring extra water and food just in case we don’t get the chance to stop at a cafe.
Folkestone to Dover walk – my experience & what to see along the way
I’ve started in Folkestone and after I’ve parked my car on the Wear Bay Road I headed straight for the Martello Towers on the East Cliff.
Martello Towers
Martello Towers are round, early 19th-century coastal forts built to defend against potential Napoleonic invasion. There are three towers in Folkestone out of the original 103 built from Folkestone to Seaford in East Sussex between 1805 and 1812.
Art Displays at the East Cliff
As you walk up towards the top of the cliff you’ll notice various display arts – the listening ear, tree on the ground made with tiles and large vases before you start climbing through the woodland.
You will be able to see a fabulous views over the English Channel and the Fossil Beach underneath. This part of the walk is very steep, but there are steps and you will be climbing to about 170 metres from nearly the sea level (depending on where you start).
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The cliffs & views above Folkestone
The path soon climbs onto the cliffs, part of the famous White Cliffs of Dover. Here, the Saxon Shore Way merges with the England Coast Path and the North Downs Way, and you’ll be treated to breathtaking views across the Channel—on a clear day, you can see France.
The chalk grassland is full of wildflowers and butterflies in summer. The cliffs are home to nesting seabirds and it’s a lovely open space.
This part of the walk is nearly flat, but it’s also narrow in places and the blackberries and nettles are very close to the path (I was really glad I had my long leggings).
The Battle of Britain Memorial & Cafe
Another reason for walking the path in this direction was because I wanted to visit the Battle of Britain Memorial on the way to Dover.
We also had a second breakfast (and lunch… come to think of it…) at the cafe and then carried on walking. Visiting this place was pretty special, but even more because we saw a bi-plane that went up over the memorial and then did a loop before flying towards France!
The memorial is a tribute to the aircrew who fought in the pivotal Battle of Britain during World War II. The whole memorial is shaped like an airplane propeller and you can see replicas of Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft.
The memorial is free to enter, but there is admission payable to the interactive exhibition inside the visitor’s centre. The cafe has outdoor terrace with stunning views over the Channel to France.
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Steedy Hole
This is one part of the section of the walk where you will need to walk down steep steps and then walk back up again. Fortunately it’s just a short section and in no time you will be back on the top cliffs path.
Eagle’s Nest & Cliff Top Cafe
This is another chance to have a coffee stop at the Cliff Top Cafe with a fabulous views. There used to be an access to the beach bellow, but a couple of years ago there was a landslide and the path is now unfortunately closed.
Abbot’s Cliff & Sound Mirror
After a while you’ll reach Abbot’s Cliff, which has even more amazing views back to Folkestone and ahead to Dover. Here, you’ll see the Abbot’s Cliff Sound Mirror, an early 20th-century concrete structure built to detect enemy aircraft before radar. It worked by focusing and amplifying distant sounds, allowing operators to hear the engines of incoming planes across the Channel.
War Army Bunkers
The path then takes you over three bunkers, which are partially visible. These bunkers were part of the extensive coastal defences built to protect against invasion and to support the monitoring and defence of the English Channel.
During World War II, this stretch of coastline was heavily fortified, and you can easily spot the remains of pillboxes, shelters, and other defensive structures scattered along the cliffs and in the surrounding undergrowth.
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Views of Samphire Hoe
There are also amazing views down onto the Samphire Hoe. You can see it from a far distance, but this area is the closest you can get to it without actually climbing down.
Samphire Hoe is a nature reserve created from the spoil of the Channel Tunnel excavations. The reserve is accessible via a very steep zig-zag path if you wish to detour, and it’s a haven for wildlife, particularly birds and rare plants.
Round Down Cliff
As I walked along the Round Down Cliff I’ve also seen at least another seven bunkers and what looked like an old shooting range. And just before I walked down the cliff I also saw few ponies and cows in the next field.
At this point the A20 is quite close and the noise might be a bit distracting to some, but I knew that Dover was a lot more industrial and busy than Folkestone, so I didn’t mind. It was also nice to see the large boats coming and leaving the port of Dover in the far distance.
Shakespeare Cliff
As you walk down the Round Down Cliff, you’ll walk over the tunnel entrance to the Samphire Hoe and onto the Shakespeare Cliff. This is where the history of coal mining started in Kent as it’s here where they first found coal and bore the first mine shaft. This coal mine was never that profitable, but others such as the Bettershanger were more successful and stayed open until end of 1980s.
There are also great views of the train track and Shakespeare Beach as you descent to the road level.
Afterwards it might be tempting to continue on the road, because the next section is up the hill again, but it’s not a very pretty walk and you’d need to walk on the A20 in places as there are no local roads.
Knights Templar Church
The path goes first up through a woodland until you reach the the impressive ruins of the Knights Templar Church.
The church dates back to the 12th century and was originally built to look like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Templars were active in Dover because it was the main departure point for pilgrimages and crusades to the Holy Land.
Western Heights
If you have spare time you can explore the paths around the imposing Western Heights, a series of Napoleonic fortifications, including the Harbour Battery. I’ve visited the Western Heights before, but wished I had more time to explore the area, as it’s quite a large complex of buildings, bastions and walls.
After climbing up a steep steps to the side of the Drop Redoubt, the path takes you around the largest fortification.
From here, you also get to see the magnificent Dover Castle on the other side of the valley and it’s a pretty imposing site!
The last section from the Drop Redoubt is very steep again, but this time we are walking down using a large stairs until we reached the small car park at the bottom of the hill.
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Dover & train back to Folkestone
I arrived at Dover just after five a clock, so all museums, cafes and attractions were already closed, but it was nice to walk around the centre of the historic Dower and then head to the train station back to Folkestone. I’ve also seen that there are regular buses going back to Folkestone, but the journey takes 40 minutes instead of 10 by train.
The Saxon Shore Way continues on and you can also take another cliff walk towards the Dover Castle and then White Cliffs of Dover visitor’s centre and continue onto the South Foreland Lighthouse and St.Margaret’s Bay.
Back in Folkestone, we walked down to the harbour first and finished our food, before the last little climb to the car. The sun was coming down and since today wasn’t too warm anyway I wasn’t tempted by the sandy beach at the Sunny Sands and the quick swim, but any other time it would have been the perfect ending to the day’s walk!
How to get to the start of the walk
To get to Folkestone from London, you have two main options: by train or by car.
By Train
- Departure Stations: The fastest and most popular trains to Folkestone leave from London St Pancras International.
- Operator: Southeastern High-Speed.
- Journey Time: Around 54 minutes to 1 hour.
- Destination Station: Folkestone Central (some trains also stop at Folkestone West).
- Frequency: Trains run regularly throughout the day.
- Route: High-speed trains travel via Ashford International.
You can also take slower trains from London Charing Cross or London Victoria, which take about 1 hour 45 minutes.
By Car
- Distance: About 70 miles (113 km).
- Route: Take the M20 motorway from London towards Folkestone.
- Estimated Drive Time: 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on traffic.
- Directions: From central London, join the M20 via the A20 or M25, then continue on the M20 all the way to Folkestone. At junction 13 take the Churchill Avenue (A259) and then the A260 until you reach Wear Bay Road. Drive closer to the East Cliff and the Folkestone Harbour and park when you see an empty spot. This might be sometimes a bit tricky as this is well known road for free parking for walks and the beach.
This blog post was originally published on 15 September 2025 and last updated on 15 September 2025
