East Wear Bay Roman villa excavation
Folkestone, East Kent
Photo: Helmut Zozmann, CC BY-SA 2.0Photo: Helmut Zozmann, CC BY-SA 2.0
On the cliff top at East Wear Bay in Folkestone, archaeologists and volunteers are racing coastal erosion to excavate and record a Roman villa and the older Iron Age landscape around it before the sea takes it. The community project, run with Canterbury Archaeological Trust, welcomes visitors by appointment during the summer dig and shares its finds through an online digital museum.
Highlights
- A Roman villa site being excavated before it is lost to the sea
- Finds from prehistoric flint to Roman brooches, viewable in 3D online
- Volunteering open to all, with no experience needed
- Views across the Channel from the Folkestone cliffs
Good to know
- There is nothing to see without a guide outside the dig season, so arrange a visit in advance
- Families can explore the digital museum and timeline online before or after a visit
- Pair it with a walk along the Warren and the East Cliff
Getting there
East Wear Bay Roman villa excavation, Wear Bay Road, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 6PYParking: Very limited parking at the site. The East Cliff Sports car park on Wear Bay Road (CT19 6PY) is a short walk away, and the 104 and 105 buses run from Folkestone Central station.
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Nearby
Image: Explore KentEast Cliff and Warren Country Park
East Cliff and Warren Country Park runs from open clifftop lawns on the edge of Folkestone down into The Warren, a wild landscape created by 200 years of landslides beneath the White Cliffs. Families can use the playground and pitch and putt, while keener walkers head down to the shore for rockpooling and fossil hunting. Allow a few hours.
Photo: Oast House Archive, CC BY-SA 2.0Sunny Sands Beach
Sunny Sands is a sandy beach in Folkestone, and the sand here is good enough to host the town's annual sandcastle competition. Bring a bucket and spade, look out for the Folkestone Mermaid statue on the shore and pick up ice cream or fish and chips nearby. It suits families with young children and is perfect for a relaxed afternoon.
Image: Creative FolkestoneFolkestone Quarterhouse
Quarterhouse is a performing arts venue at the cultural heart of Folkestone, run by Creative Folkestone. Its programme mixes theatre, music, film and comedy with classes and workshops, and The Clearing café bar on the first floor is a striking spot for a drink before a show. It suits an evening out or a creative daytime session.