Creteway Down has spectacular views across Folkestone and it forms an important link between the important wildlife sites of Folkestone Downs and Folkestone Warren. Part of Creteway Down is a Site of Special Scientific Interest of European importance for wildlife, especially orchids. It is possible to walk all over Creteway Down although visitors should take care on steep muddy slopes. The North Downs Way National Trail follows the crest of the hill, on a route that has probably been a footpath for thousands of years. Early Mesolithic pottery has been found on Creteway Down which suggests that man was walking here around 6,000 years ago. Creteway may drive from the Latin ‘creta’ for chalk, and it is thought that a Roman Road from Lemanis (Lympne) to Dubris (Dover) followed the route across the downs. Cyclists can also enjoy Creteway Down on National Cycle Route No 2 that leads from Dover to Folkestone and on to the West Country. Cretway Down is the home of the Coccoliths Sculpture which has been installed on the quiet country lane that leads down across Creteway Down to Dover Hill (Grid Reference TR 232 380), The sculpture was created by the artist Tim Clapcott, who was inspired by the shape of the tiny skeletons (called coccoliths) that make up the chalk. Coccoliths are the remains of tiny plants that floated in a warm tropical seas between 65 and 130 million years ago. The sculpture is one of the artworks that form the Chalk & Channel Way between Dover and Folkestone. You can also hear the poem, Blind Date, written by the poet Ros Barber.
Easy access information
This park and open space contains uneven trails, un-surfaced or narrow pathways. Also, there are width restricting features, such as stiles and narrow gaps making it difficult for visitors with pushchairs and/or wheelchairs to access some parts of the site.
