Our intention is to restore and then maintain and operate the Leas lift for the benefit of the local community and visitors. We want to preserve this historic water powered cliffside funicular railway and to introduce the history of the lift to the public.
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Folkestone Leas Lift Company CIO (registered charity number 1197324) is undertaking a £6.9 million transformative project to repair and conserve the Grade II* listed Leas Lift cliff funicular railway in Folkestone, and educate, inspire, engage and serve the local community through a vibrant and varied programme of activities. This project, supported by the NLHF, is not only important to Folkestone but has a significance on a national scale, reviving one of only three remaining water balance lifts in the UK.
The Lift is at the heart of Folkestone and is much loved by the community. However, it has been closed since 2017 and has since been put on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. In the past 8 years the Folkestone Leas Lift Company CIO has worked hard to get the Lift's restoration on the rails, with major funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund secured in 2023.
Starting in April 2025 major repairs will be undertaken to return the Leas Lift, a remarkable asset of industrial heritage, to service.
The upper and lower Lift stations will be conserved and repaired. The visitor facilities in both stations will be improved with the west waiting room educating visitors on the history of the Lift, and the east waiting room refurbished as a community art space.
Repairs to the underground water tanks, track and machinery will be undertaken. The two Lift cars will be conserved and repaired and the pump house will be restored. The sheave wheel will be replaced.
The lower Lift station will be sympathetically extended on the west side following excavation and soil-nailing of the cliffside, and will house the Lift's new cafe.
Alongside the repairs and capital works a vibrant and varied activity programme is developed to engage with primary and secondary schools, Folkestone College and numerous community groups, to ensure everyone is aware of the Lift and feels a part of its revival.
Once re-opened, the Leas Lift will provide a green and accessible mode of transport and function as a social hub where the community comes together to socialise, learn and showcase their talents. The Lift will create new jobs, work experience and volunteering roles, and attract more visitors to Folkestone, contributing to its local economy.