A £6.6 million restoration project to preserve one of Kent’s most historic assets has received a significant boost with further grant funding.
The Leas Lift in Folkestone is set to undergo major refurbishment and Historic England has awarded an extra £200,000 to the coffers.
The money will pay for work on the sheave wheel, which is vital in raising and lowering passenger cars at the Grade II-listed site.
Cathy Beare, chairwoman of the Folkestone Leas Lift Company Charity, which is behind the restoration project, said the additional funds will be essential in getting the lift back up and running.
She said: “After sending the original sheave wheel for expert assessment, it became apparent that restoring it would not be feasible.
“Instead, with this welcome financial support from Historic England, we can commission a replacement that will allow us to get the original working mechanism back up and running.
“Once the new wheel is in place, it will be far more visible than before and will also include explanations of how the mechanism works.”
The sheave wheel contains a groove along its edge for holding a belt, rope or cable and is intended to minimise friction and therefore decrease long-term wear of the lifting and pulling equipment.
When the replacement wheel is added, all the pieces will be in place to fully restore the mechanism of the water balance lift, one of three still remaining in the UK.
Plans were also recently unveiled to move the Leas Lift Cafe to a temporary site while the restoration takes place.
The beloved seafront cafe will relocate to Lower Sandgate Road, near the Lower Leas Coastal Car Park, inside a shipping container while also featuring an outdoor seating area.
In November 2023, the Folkestone Leas Lift Company Charity secured £4.8m of support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, meaning the overall fundraising target of £6.6m had been reached.
However, residents did raise concerns about the lack of work on-site and whether the timeline was still on track to be finished by the proposed 2025 date.
The extensive plans are set to get underway in the summer and will also see the cliffside railway’s waiting room renovated and a new building constructed to house the modern cafe with an outdoor terrace.
The Leas Lift, built in 1885, carried passengers between the promenade and the seafront for more than 100 years.
The attraction was forced to shut down seven years ago because of problems with its braking system. In 2019, Historic England placed it on the Heritage at Risk register.
Liz Pollard, Historic England’s heritage at risk projects officer, added that she looked forward to the lift being ready for public use.
In a statement, she said: “The Leas Lift is a unique and much-loved site, built in 1885 to transport people between the clifftop promenade and beach below.
“The replacement sheave wheel is integral to getting the lift operational again. We look forward to its installation so the public can once again use and experience this special mode of transport.”
