Folkestone’s Grade II* listed Leas Lift has reached its restoration fundraising target, thanks to a £4.8m contribution from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The capital means the overall goal of £6.6 million for its restoration has been met. Originally installed in 1885, it carried 2,389 passengers on the first day! It is one of only three remaining water-balanced lifts in the UK, and the only remaining cliff lift in Folkestone. Conservation and repair is now scheduled to commence in 2024, with the reopening expected in 2025.

The restoration project aims to bring the lift back into operation, offering a range of activities for the local community and providing step-free access from the seafront to the town. The Leas Lift, located in Folkestone, Kent, is one of just three funicular lifts remaining in the UK still operated by its original water and gravity-based system. Another five are still in use but use a different power system. The Leas Lift was closed due to safety concerns in 2016, and added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register in 2018.

The initiative to save the heritage asset began in 2018 with the collaboration of volunteers dedicated to preserving the lift’s historical significance, and the restoration campaign gained momentum when planning permission was granted for a new café adjacent to the lift.

For further details see the site’s website here: https://leaslift.co.uk/