The Leas Lift in Folkestone. Dating from 1886 it took passengers between the seafront and the promenade. Not in use but due for restoration.
The Leas Lift is a grade II* listed funicular railway that carries passengers between the seafront and the promenade in Folkestone, Kent. Originally installed in 1885, it is one of the oldest water lifts in the UK. The lift operates using water and gravity and is controlled from a small cabin at the top of the cliff. It has carried more than 35 million people since it opened, in a process that is especially energy efficient. The lift has a very small carbon footprint, as it emits no pollution and recycles all of the water used to drive the cars. On June 1991, the lift was seen in an episode of The Darling Buds of May. David Jason, Pam Ferris, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Philip Franks, Anna Massey and Moray Watson all appeared. In June 2009, Folkestone and Hythe District Council’s lease ran out and it was decided that the lift was too expensive to run. Campaigners subsequently protested against the closure of the lift and in April 2010, it was announced that the lift was to be restored.
Size: 5504px × 7666px
Location: Folkestone CT20 2JP. GPS 51°4'" N 1°10'" E
Photo credit: © Colin Walton / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: attraction, bar, bars, buildings, cafe, cafes, coffee, derelict, entertainment, folkestone, fun, funicular, historic, history, holiday, holidays, leas, lift, lifts, listed, promenade, railway, seafront, seaside, shop, summer, tourism, tourist, tourists, victorian, water
