The Zig Zag Path: Exploring A Unique Folkestone Walk

The Zig Zag path. Sounds a bit story book, doesn’t it? It’s not made up, I promise you. It’s a real and rather lovely walking path in the seaside town of Folkestone, Kent.

It’s an easy and whimsical walk that does exactly what the name suggests- zig-zags from Folkestone street level down to the seafront. Why put yourself through a steep puff-your-way-up-or-down sort of walk when you can gently zig zag along a historic path with secret garden vibes?

A note on the name. The Zig Zag path is actually what it’s called. I have been known to rename to things. Example: I used to walk Little Wolf round a Wiltshire field where I usually spotted deer which was then known (to me) as the Deer Field. I once used that reference when giving a soldier directions. Who knows where he ended up.

But in this case, no renaming required, the Zig Zag Path it officially is. Intrigued? Here’s what it’s all about.

The Zig Zag Path, Folkestone: It’s Not What It Looks Like…

The Zig Zag path is part of The Leas, a cliff side green space between the seafront streets of Folkestone and the seafront. The path itself is a winding route of caves, grottos and tunnels complimented by pretty planting and sea views.

Given the paths cliffside location, you might think the path has been conjured out of a series of original features, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The features that make up this scenic walk are man made, sculpted in Pulhamite, a mix of sand, cement, and rubble.  If you want to dig into the world of Pulhamite and the family who created it, you can read about the Pulham Legacy here.

Alongside the caves, grottoes and arches the workers who created the path also built in lots of lovely landscaped features, including steps, seats and planters. And all done so seamlessly, that if you didn’t know differently, you’d easily believe it had all been carved out of the Folkestone cliffside.

The whole of the path structure is now listed and efforts are being made to carefully repair parts that are damaged or weathered. This is no easy task given that the original material was historic waste. Rubble- usually a mix of pottery, brick & burnt coal ‘clinker’- was mixed with Pulham cement, the recipe for which has been lost.

Building the Zig Zag Path ( They Had A Practice Run)

Shortly after the end of the First World War, the Folkestone Corporation decided to build a path to allow easier access from street level down to the shore. The story goes, they gave it their best shot but failed miserably. The original Zig Zag path was a bit of a disgrace.

By 1920, the Corporation realised they couldn’t pull the job off and called in Mr Pulham of Pulham & Co, London. He knew exactly what to do. Local men without work after the war were employed to rebuild and the attractive coastal walk was created.

The Zig Zag Path Today

It’s a historic little gem on the Kent coastline. Green, gorgeous and well worth exploring.

The promenade along the sea front at the bottom of the path is a great place for a mooch, with a long stretch of shingle beach and The Ledge, a sculpture of an Inuit and a seal, part of the Creative Folkestone project. This sculpture is just one of many that make up the UK’s largest urban contemporary art trail to which Folkestone is home.

Because no walk is really complete without coffee & cake, we made a pit stop at Hat Hats. This friendly little kiosk cafe is open 364 days a year selling drinks, cakes and ices creams. They even sell treats for the four legged friends.

On that note, this is a dog friendly walk fully approved by my own four legged friend.

If your looking for more things to do in Folkestone, you might like this post: 7 Things to Do in Folkestone Before Catching Le Shuttle or The Ferry

Helen x