Restoration Journey

Restoration Journey

A Message from Chair Cathy Beare

My journey with Leas Lift began in 2017 when I was asked to join a fledgling board that was tasked to take on the Leas Lift restoration project. From there a new board was formed in 2018 with the remit of bringing the lift back into operation with funding from an S106 agreement relating to the development on the seafront.

During the first year, it was evident from engineering surveys that the funding designated for the Lift’s restoration (S106 funding) wasn’t enough. There were challenges, including limited space on the site to generate extra income. Relying solely on revenue from transportation was risky. As the reopening was delayed, repair costs rose, making it necessary to consider expanding the site.

Stepping into Leadership & Building the Team

Many of the original board members did not have the time or appetite for this. Temporarily, I took over as Chair and am the only member of the original team.

At this point much of the funding available seemed outside our reach. We considered how to embark upon this challenge and were advised that the Heritage Lottery Fund (NLHF) was a good fit, though they were just about to close to new applications for a period to rebrand.

With a new goal to raise funds and keeping a watching eye on a deteriorating site, we sought to expand the board and form a group of trusted advisers. This was the toughest point because we had to build the team and credibility. Huge credit is due to the team on the board today who joined whilst we had this level of uncertainty. At times the task felt daunting but we persisted.

Pursuing Funding Amidst a Pandemic

The rebranded National Lottery Heritage Fund re-opened in 2019 and, using £10,000 provided by Folkestone & Hythe District Council and other funds from community donations, a tender process to appoint consultants to support us commenced.

is the initial application to the NLHF was significant – it required architects designs and a detailed business plan and took some time to prepare. Our March 2020 application was blighted by Covid as we submitted two days before it closed to new applications whilst they focused on existing projects in progress.

During this period we opened a pop-up café at the Lift’s lower station to generate some much-needed income and carried out further feasibility work with a grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund. We were more than ready by February 2021 and submitted our application as soon as the National Lottery Heritage Fund reopened to new applications.

Funding Secured, Vision Realised

Having been granted a development grant from National Lottery Heritage Fund in September 2021, a project manager to lead on the capital works was appointed and work commenced. Alongside finalising designs to submit for planning permission, another key element of the preparatory works was to fundraise a significant sum to match a much larger funding requestto National Lottery Heritage Fund. Many Trusts and Foundations had specific criteria and windows within which to apply which is why we allowed 18 months in our programme to apply for a second (delivery) grant from National Lottery Heritage Fund.

During this time various economic pressures increased the cost of the project; we doubled the fundraising target and managed to raise a further £800,000.

In November 2023, the National Lottery Heritage Fund officially awarded the Leas Lift 4.8mln towards its restoration and community engagement work ahead if its re-opening. The Board of voluntary trustees were instrumental in this monumental achievement. If there was ever a group of people that deserve this success, it’s this one and leading a team like this is a real honour.

With the appointment of our main contractor APEX and a fledgling operational team in 2024, restoration works are now well underway whilst the operational infrastructure of the Lift is being developed to ensure its financial sustainability in the long-term.

The hard work by our trustees and Lift team continues to ensure we re-open the Lift for the community of Folkestone in spring 2026. Exciting times ahead!

The Historic England listing covers

The Historic England listing covers:

Waiting rooms which were designed by Reginald Pope in a Domestic Revival style and built by John Newman, a local builder;
Pump room, which was added in 1890 in a similar style with a second lift (removed in 1985);
Lower station tanks, track, cars, wheel houses; and,
Tank room, upper station tunnel and railings.

Visit Historic England

four areas of significance

The listing specifically highlights four areas of significance: rarity of a lift of this type – of only eight water balance cliff lifts built nationally, this was the third, but is one of only three still operating by the original system in the UK; engineering and structural interest; rarity and degree of survival of the working machinery; and architectural interest of the waiting rooms and pump house. See Historic England listing for further details of the rarity of aspects of the machinery.

four areas of significance

Water and gravity

Water and gravity were the only sources of motive power on the seafront in the 1880s. Waygood and Company Ltd. were probably commissioned as they were known for installing water-based, hydraulic lifting systems in country houses. They did not have railway experience so may have sub-contracted the installation of the tracks to an unknown railway engineering company.