Folkestone – The end of the Leas Cliff Lift !

After the St Nicolas Cliff Lift in Scarborough, it is now the turn of the Leas Cliff Lift in Folkestone to be closed by the local council because of it coast!
Leas Cliff Lift was opened in 1885. It was a water powered funicular and was the last remaining Cliff Lift of Folkestone…
As for the Babbacombe Cliff Lift, we may hope that an historic private society will be created to save and restore one of the most famous Cliff Lift of Great Britain!

Folkestone – La fin du Leas Cliff Lift !

Tout comme le funiculaire de St Nicolas à Scarborough, c’est maintenant le tour du funiculaire Leas Cliff Lift de Folkestone d’être définitivement fermé par les autorités locales pour cause de coûts trop élévés!
Le funiculaire Leas Cliff Lift entra en service en 1885 et c’était un système à contre poids d’eau. C’était le dernier funiculaire de Folkestone encore en service.
Comme pour le funiculaire de Babbacombe, on peut espérer qu’une société historique privée se créera pour sauver et restaurer un des plus célèbres funiculaires de Grande Bretagne!

 

5 thoughts on “Folkestone – The end of the Leas Cliff Lift !”

  1. Once reported to be Britain’s noisiest railway! Every wheel, drum, sheaf squealed loudly to the point of being deafening as it moved!

  2. Sorry to see this cliff lift disappear. I believe that this only leaves three water-powered funiculars still working in Britain, Saltburn, Lynton & Lynmouth, and the Centre for Alternative Technology at Machynlleth

  3. I am so sorry to see it close. I can remember it as a child when my family used to visit relatives in Folkestone in the 1950s. At that time the second lift alongside the present one was also in use. I also remember visiting the pumping station at the bottom of the lift, which used electric power to return the water to the top. The electric motor had a large brass maker’s plate on it, but it had been polished so may times over the years that the lettering had completely disappeared!

  4. The lift has reopened and has been in full service since the 26th July 2010 after a group of local citizens signed a management agreement with the Folkestone Estate (The landlords)and formed a non-profit-making company to run the lift as a living museum to Victorian ingenuity. Follow the http://www.leasliftfolkestone.co.uk/ link for full details

  5. Hello Terry… thank you for your comment! Yes I heard that Folkestone Cliff Lift has reopened… fortunately! Thanks also for the website link…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *