With beautiful beaches, charming towns and sweeping coastal views Folkestone and Hythe appears to have it all.
Indeed, the Kentish local authority was named the best place to live in south-east England by The Times in 2024.
But despite its popularity, beaches in Folkestone and Hythe have been identified as being some of the dirtiest in England.
The Environment Agency regularly tests the water quality along the country’s coastline and rates each spot from ‘poor’ to ‘excellent’.
A recent study looking into all of the beaches in England found sites in Folkestone and Hythe had a mean bacteria score of 3.273 – more than three
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