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Capel-le-Ferne is a village on the
White Cliffs of Dover, near
Folkestone
Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...
in
Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. Its name derives from a medieval French term meaning "chapel in the ferns". In 2011 the village had a population of 1,884.
[ It is perched on top of the White Cliffs of Dover.
Its foremost attraction is the Battle of Britain Memorial, opened by the Queen Mother on 9 July 1993 and dedicated to those who fought in the battle. The Memorial is built upon part of a coastal battery (No. 2 and No. 3 guns) used during the ]Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
(the other part of the battery site is privately owned and is under restoration).
The Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel (), sometimes referred to by the Portmanteau, portmanteau Chunnel, is a undersea railway tunnel, opened in 1994, that connects Folkestone (Kent, England) with Coquelles (Pas-de-Calais, France) beneath the English Channel at ...
runs underneath the northernmost part of the village.
The village is twinned with the commune of Oye-Plage, which is about east of Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...
, France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
Transport
The New Dover Road, also known as the B2011, runs through the village. The A20 runs to the north, and is used by freight and ferry traffic heading for Dover.
Governance
The electoral ward of Capel-le-Ferne includes Hougham Without and at the 2011 census it had a population of 2,347.
In popular culture
Russell Hoban gave Capel-le-Fern the name "Crippel the Farn" in his post-apocalyptic novel '' Riddley Walker'' (1989).
See also
* RNAS Capel a first world war airship station to the east of the village
* St Mary's Church, Capel-le-Ferne
File:Capel-le-Ferne - Battle of britain memorial 01.JPG
File:Capel-le-Ferne - Battle of britain memorial 02.JPG, Memorial Wall
File:Capel-le-Ferne - Battle of britain memorial 03.JPG, Spitfire Replica
References
External links
Capel-le-Ferne Parish Council Website
Ferne also means "far off', as in, the ferne hills. It was published in Chaucer's epic novel.
Villages in Kent
Populated coastal places in Kent
Civil parishes in Kent
{{Kent-geo-stub