The Folkestone Leas Lift - Folkestone, Kent, UK
N 51° 04.613 E 001° 10.720
31U E 372413 N 5659952
The Folkestone Leas Lift transports people from the seafront to the cliff tops at The Leas.
Waymark Code: WMCVK9
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/15/2011
Views: 7
The lift opens seasonally from April to October but does not operate in inclement weather. During the open season, it operates 7 days a week between the hours of 09.30am to 5.20pm.
The eastern track is not used. The cars, on the western track, can each hold 14 passengers on flat benches running along the sides of the carriage.
The lift is operated by pumping water into the a tank in the top car. Once the weight of the top car exceeds the weight of the bottom car the top car starts to descend and the bottom car rises. Two steel wire ropes connect the two cars around a giant sheave at the top end. This is braked from the control room at the top side to control the speed of descent of the heavy car. The water is then pumped back to the top car when that is ready to descend.
The co-ordinates given are for the lower end of the lift.
The price to use the lift is either 50p or £1 each way. The £1 fare is for an adult under 60 years of age.
See the lift in operation at YouTube: (
visit link)