The Fishing Heritage of Folkestone by Frank Bond

Fishing and Folkestone have been synonymous since pre-Roman times when oysters were sent to Gaul. Long before construction of a harbour, this would have been conducted in small boats or by literally dragging primitive nets through the water, also fishing lines and pots. Generations of families, living close to the waters edge, would have survived and thrived through their involvement with fishing. All their equipment would be made from natural materials and fibres such as wood, linen flax and wool. They would have been totally dependent on the weather, which was liable to endanger their livelihood, their property and even their lives. Periods of bad weather threatened the very survival of the community. The early jetty was frequently collapsing with the constant need to replacing the stones. The fish would be bartered on the foreshore or immediate surrounding area.

As the population of the locality increased, fish was traded further inland to supply the expanding community. The prosperity of the area was clearly critically dependent on products from the sea, and further inland, on primitive agriculture, hunting and quarrying. Much later, the construction of a harbour in 1807 enabled larger vessels to fish with the benefit of protection and shelter. A fish market developed, and, with the arrival of the railway to London in 1843, the fish could be sent to the Capital using ice imported from Scandinavia or even further afield. The invention of ‘dry ice’, in the form of solid carbon dioxide, ensured the freshest possible condition of the fish even on the longest journeys.

As late as 1960’s boats were still being launched from the ‘horseshoe’ shaped beach in front of the old Folkestone Marina, and some were even rowed out, although most had outboard motors.   Small craft were also kept in Folkestone’s Inner Harbour, though mainly for recreational or party fishing rather than commercial operations. This form of fishing provided an income for those responding to demand for pleasure fishing and they still do today. Other vessels were used for pleasure trips to see the white cliffs of Dover.

The fishing took place alongside harbour developments connected with commercial freight and passenger operations which sometimes helped, and often hindered. Subsequent developments enabled more successful and profitable fishing operations to be conducted using still larger vessels and a greater variety of sophisticated new equipment. Trawling, monofilament netting, potting and other methods are currently employed, but with decline in available fish, the fleet and consequent effort, have reduced in recent years. Fishing is still the most hazardous operation, with personal injuries and lives lost annually the worst in recorded professions. Thankfully, with limitations of exposure of inshore fishing it is less with this.

We need to remember our heritage, heavy local dependence on fishing, and a Museum, housing countless memorabilia, artefacts and photographs, currently held by those living by the sea, would be a considerable asset.   Though in the long term we intend to establish a museum devoted entirely to fishing in the area of the harbour, in the short term we fully support the efforts to establish a museum in the Old Town Hall, which we hope will in part be devoted to the Folkestone fishing industry.   This will also attach a value to those who have dedicated their livelihood, effort and occasionally their lives to providing fish on our tables.

This is an article from Go Folkestone magazine. An electronic version can be found at http://www.gofolkestone.org.uk/magazine

Folkestone Decorative & Fine Arts Society (FDFAS)

Thursday 23 February 2012 at 2.30pm. “Jewellery in the Age of Victoria: a mirror to the world” by Judy Rudoe. Rather than concentrating on the major figures at the top end of the jewellery trade, this talk is oriented towards the Victorian social aspects of owning, wearing and displaying jewellery.

Meetings are held at The Tower Theatre, North Road, Shorncliffe. Visitors are welcome at £5. Info: e-mail folkestone@nadfaskentarea.org.uk or telephone 01303 239530 or visit our website: www.nadfaskentarea.org.uk

Folkestone Decorative & Fine Arts Society (FDFAS)

Thursday 26 January 2012 at 2.30pm. “Inviting the World to London: Great Exhibition to the Olympics” by Ian Gibson. A topical insight into the distinct legacies left by a succession of international festivals hosted by London from the Great Exhibition in 1851 to the forthcoming 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

Meetings are held at The Tower Theatre, North Road, Shorncliffe. Visitors are welcome at £5. Info: e-mail folkestone@nadfaskentarea.org.uk or telephone 01303 239530 or visit our website: www.nadfaskentarea.org.uk