Renovating the Road of Remembrance
Each one of the millions of fighting men who marched through the town and down to the waiting boats on the harbour on their way to the Western Front between 1914 and 1918 would have gone down “The Slope”, as it was then known.
At the top of the hill they would have heard the order “Step Short”, an instruction to shorten their stride in order to negotiate the gradient safely.
That road is now Folkestone’s Road of Remembrance; the order that was given is the name of the ambitious project to showcase the sacrifice so many of those men went on to make.
The Road of Remembrance is not what it was. Step Short began the process of tidying, replanting and restoring the road some years ago so that it can once again be a fitting memorial to the bravery of the millions of soldiers whose footsteps and songs echoed as they marched to and from the Harbour.
The Memorial Arch
On 13th July 2012 Step Short unveiled plans to create a memorial Arch at the top of the Road of Remembrance, and in August 2014 the completed memorial was revealed by Prince Harry at the centenary commemoration. With a classic design the Arch provides a focus, not only for remembering the men and women whose journeys took them down the road, but it is also a symbol of Folkestone's status as a key gateway to the Western Front.
Below you can view the brochure explaining the key features of the Arch. The pages are set out in sequence and each number will open a PDF file of the corresponding page. You will see that the Arch was always intended to be much more than a memorial in the traditional sense; it is a platform for educational and heritage presentations and was the starting point for an important part of our World War One centenary commemorations in the UK and abroad.
The brochure also explains the plans for the development of a Visitor Centre a few steps from the Arch. Let us know what you think, and please consider supporting us by making a donation or becoming a Member of Step Short.
Click on the page numbers below: