Perched atop the chalk cliffs of Kent, Capel-le-Ferne is a charming village between Folkestone and Dover. It is renowned for its World War II coastal battery and memorial to the Battle of Britain, as well as being home to one of several sound mirrors built along the coastline during the interwar years.
Dominating the coastline are the Capel-le-Ferne Cliffs, which rise dramatically above Abbotscliffe Beach. They can be accessed along the King Charles III England Coast Path, a long-distance walking trail that takes in some of the country’s most spectacular coastal scenery.
Nearby is the Abbot’s Cliff Sound Mirror, which was constructed in 1928 as a “listening ear” to alert the authorities of incoming enemy aircraft. On the other side of Abbotscliffe Beach is Folkestone Warren, a nature reserve that provides a habitat for wintering birds and a research site for Cretaceous period studies.
Getting there
Capel-le-Ferne is around five minutes’ drive from Folkestone and 10 minutes from Dover, from where ferries connect to Calais in France. London and Heathrow Airport are around 1.5 hours away. Buses travel through Capel-le-Ferne and the village is small enough to explore on foot.