Those expecting to leap off the train at Folkestone Central and be met with sea air, sandy beaches and quirky beach huts will be a little disappointed. It hasn’t quite got the visual panache of some other seaside towns – the walk to the centre encounters a fair few betting shops, fast-food chains and B&Bs crying for a lick of paint.
What you will be met with, however, is a clue. A large declaration in capital letters that “Folkestone is an art school”. I later learn that the town is home to 74 artworks in its outdoor Folkestone Artworks exhibition, from the likes of Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, Yoko Ono and Mark Walling, making it the largest urban outdoor contemporary art exhibition in the UK.
