The Chalk Path - Folkestone Warren- English

Welcome to The Chalk Path - a self guided geolocated sound walk through deep time.

You’re about to listen to the walk in English - if you prefer to listen in French, choose "Le Chemin de Craie- Folkestone -Francais" instead. Vous allez écouter la balade en anglais. Si vous préférez l'écouter en français, rendez-vous à "Le Chemin de Craie- Cap Blanc Nez - Français".

Beginning outside East Cliff Coastwatch station, tune into the voice of the ancestors via VHF radio to reveal layers of time as you descend to meet the sea.

The sea is both beginning and ending of everything on earth - where do we fit into this cycle and what layer do we want our story to leave?

Search for an ancestor on the beach and look across the channel - perhaps your journey is shared by a walker on the other side, seeking a connection that transcends human experience... when you finish this walk you might like to follow the journey on the other side too?

PREPARING FOR YOUR JOURNEY:

Please download the audio and check your GPRS is activated on your phone before you set off, otherwise the ancestors will not be able to find you.

Put your phone away in your pocket and use the paper map for navigation. The sound will play automatically as long as you are following the route and have GPS activated

If sound doesn't play and you are certain you are in the right place, hit the "play" button. You can also pause and re-start the audio if you wish.

If you don’t have your map yet, you can find one at: -Folkestone Urban Room, Tram Road Car Park -Kollectiv (The Old High Street) -East Cliff Coastwatch station - where this walk starts.

The walk is approx 1.5 miles and can be completed in around an hour, but you might like to allow more time. The walk involves some slopes, uneven terrain and steps, and one small section of road walking where care should be taken of traffic. If you would like more information about the route or need help accessing the audio, please visit Folkestone Urban Room in Tram Road Carpark.

This experience was created by Alison Neighbour, with sound production by Gemma Riggs and Sébastien Cabour. French text is by Elodie Merland. It was originally commissioned by Folkestone Fringe, Creative Folkestone and Kent AONB as part of SALT + EARTH Festival 2023.

For more info on the work please visit bit.ly/chalk-path

Supported by Arts Council England, Parc naturel régional des caps et marais d'Opale, The Geologists Association Curry Fund, Folkestone Fringe, Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, and Kent Downs National Landscape.

The Chalk Path/Le Chemin de Craie was originally commissioned by Folkestone Fringe, Creative Folkestone and Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty as part of SALT+EARTH Festival of Landscape, Seascape and the Environment 2022, and further developed with their support in 2023. The 2024 iteration is a further commission for SALT+EARTH Festival and the Year of the Geopark, in connection with the Kent Downs and Parc D'Opale bid to become a cross channel UNESCO Geopark.