The big question we get asked all the time is ‘When is work going to start on the restoration?’. There’s always a lot going on behind the scenes so to understand more, we sat down with Luke Brown, project manager at AtkinsRéalis and Jo Streeter, chair of the Leas Lift Build Committee. Can you summarise […]

The restoration of Folkestone’s Leas Lift has taken a major step forward with the appointment of a principal contractor for the construction work. Following a thorough tender process, Bexley-based Apex Contractors has been awarded the contract, which is worth more than £5m. Over the next three months, Apex will be working alongside the project team […]

The new team behind The Lift Café – pictured above from left to right are Tony Knell, Dean Rowland and Kat White from the Little Coffee Shed – are now firmly installed in their new home. While the main building is being restored, the café is operating from a temporary container at the entrance to […]

A curator and cultural consultant with an international reputation has joined the Board of Trustees for Folkestone’s Leas Lift. Lewis Biggs OBE has been appointed to the volunteer Board that is supporting the restoration and re-opening of the Lift. A Folkestone resident for the past 10 years, he was curator of Creative Folkestone Triennial in […]

Folkestone’s Leas Lift has been voted as one of the UK’s favourite seaside places and experiences. The Seaside Heritage Network has revealed the Leas Lift made number five in its Bucket and Spade List of the Top Ten favourite seaside places and experiences, voted for by members of the public. Comments from voters included ‘It’s […]

Due the popularity of the Lift Café and the wish to retain a point of information about the Leas Lift project to the public, the Folkestone Leas Lift CIO has decided to continue a small scale food & drink offering in a temporary container on site whilst construction and restoration works to the existing Lift buildings are ongoing.

Read our short interview with Leas Lift Hero, and owner of Craft Coffee, Jamie Evans How did Craft Coffee come about? We started Craft Coffee in 2011 with a weekend stall at the Maltby Street Market near London Bridge. My former boss had a railway arch and asked if I wanted to come and do […]

Folkestone Leas Lift is set to come alive in a performance that combines interactive puppetry, storytelling and live music.

The restoration of the unique mechanism that powers Folkestone’s Leas Lift has been given a £200,000 boost thanks to a grant from Historic England.

Rachel Knight, Director at Tunbridge Wells-based Maxim, a PR, marketing and public affairs agency, has been appointed as a Leas Lift Trustee to the volunteer Board of 10 that is supporting the restoration and re-opening of the Lift.

Folkestone’s Leas Lift has appointed its first chief executive officer, charged with leading the restoration and re-opening of the nationally significant heritage asset. Floortje Hoette, who currently leads Produced in Kent, will join Folkestone Leas Lift Company Charity on 1 May 2024.

The charity charged with renovating and re-opening Folkestone’s Leas Lift has taken on its first official employees.