| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| Area of Search | Kent |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TR171394 to TR235376 |
| Interest | Biological and Geological |
| Area | 269.5 hectares |
| Notification | 1951 |
| Location map | Natural England |
The Folkestone Downs are an area of chalk downland above Folkestone, where the eastern end of the North Downs escarpment meets the English Channel. The Downs are protected within the Folkestone to Etchinghill Escarpment SSSI due to their geological and biological interest.
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Folkestone Downs stretch for 5 kilometres from East Cliff and Warren Country Park in the east to Peene Quarry in the west. The downs rise steeply above the town of Folkestone to heights in excess of 150 metres. The highest point is Dover Hill at 170 metres. The Channel Tunnel Terminal lies at the foot of the downs and the British portal is directly below the slopes of Castle Hill. The downland is classified as CG4 Brachypodium pinnatum and CG5 Bromus erectus - Brachypodium pinnatum calcareous grassland with smaller areas of CG2 Festuca ovina - Avenula pratensis grassland. There are also areas of scrubland and woodland.
Folkestone Downs are one of the largest areas of unimproved chalk downland in Kent. The extensive flora includes many typical species of chalk grassland including Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa), Squinancywort (Asperula cynanchica) and Small Scabious as well as scarce species such as Bedstraw Broomrape (Orobanche caryophyllacea). Many species of orchid occur on the downs notably the nationally rare Late Spider Orchid (Ophrys fuciflora) as well as the nationally scarce Early Spider Orchid (Ophrys sphegodes) and Man Orchid (Aceras anthropophora). The nationally scarce Burnt Orchid (Neotinea ustulata) has also been recorded in the past. Folkestone Downs are also notable for its extensive lichen flora.
The scrub and woodland provides breeding habitat for many species of bird. Folkestone Downs is particularly notable for its insect fauna. Up to 32 species of butterfly have been redorded on the downs including the Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus), Chalkhill Blue (Polyommatus coridon) and Small Blue (Cupido minimus). Several rare species of moth have been recorded including the Straw Belle (Aspitates gilvaria) and the Annulet Moth (Charissa obscurata).
Much of Folkestone Downs is owned by Eurotunnel and is managed in by the White Cliffs Countryside Project. Grazing was abandoned after the Second World War resulting in an invasion of coarse grasses and scrub. This resulted in a reduction of the grassland flora, particularly after the rabbit population was reduced by myxamatosis in the 1950s. Cattle grazing was restored in 1990. Much of the downland is designated as open access land following the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
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