Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
5 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
5 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
6 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
7 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Folkestone Zigzag Path

Zigzag Path

A winding cave grotto walkway built to provide employment for veterans after World War I.

Folkestone, England

Added By
Mictlān Tēcutli
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Helmut Zozmann/cc by-sa 2.0
  Helmut Zozmann/cc by-sa 2.0
Cave-like section of the Zigzag Path.   pam fray/cc by-sa 2.0
  pam fray/cc by-sa 2.0
Archway on the Zigzag Path.   pam fray/cc by-sa 2.0
View from the top of the Zigzag Path of Folkestone Beach and the English Channel.   Marathon/cc by-sa 2.0
  Helmut Zozmann/cc by-sa 2.0
Top of the Zigzag Path.   pam fray/cc by-sa 2.0
  Steve 55 / Atlas Obscura User
  Steve 55 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

After the First World War, many soldiers returned from the battlefield to face a precarious state of unemployment in Great Britain, which was in a major economic recession. One way the British government attempted to deal with this problem was to develop a number of public work schemes across the country. 

One such project was the construction of the Zigzag Path in the leas area of the coastal town of Folkestone. It began in 1921 and mobilized hundreds of local war veterans to build a new ornamental feature in the Lower Leas Coastal Park. This winding path leads down the cliff from the Upper Leas to the seafront, stretching over an area approximately 160 feet high and just as wide. 

The steep but scenic walk down to the Lower Leas zigs and zags through artificial grottoes sculpted out of a material known as Pulhamite, a mix of sand, cement, and rubble. The workers also built several landscape features along the path, such as steps, seats, plant pockets, low walls, tunnels, arches, and of course, the series of linked caves.

The European fashion of including grottoes in private gardens began much earlier, in the late Georgian era and the Victorian age. But the trend continued into the 20th century in Edwardian Britain, where grottoes became incorporated into public gardens as well. Today, more than a century on, the Zigzag Path in Folkestone still stands as a testament to this period of local history, and an interesting feature of the seaside town.

Related Tags

Caves Grottoes Parks Wwi Cliffs War History Public Works Ecosystems Military

Know Before You Go

The ornamental cave walkway is located in the Lower Leas Coastal Park and is free to visit.

Community Contributors

Added By

Monsieur Mictlan

Edited By

Meg, Steve 55

  • Meg
  • Steve 55

Published

August 9, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Zigzag Path
Lower Sandgate Rd
Folkestone, England
United Kingdom
51.073873, 1.165054
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

House of H.G. Wells

Sandgate, England

miles away

Sandgate Castle

Sandgate, England

miles away

Aefre

Kent, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Folkestone

Folkestone

England

Places 2

Nearby Places

House of H.G. Wells

Sandgate, England

miles away

Sandgate Castle

Sandgate, England

miles away

Aefre

Kent, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Folkestone

Folkestone

England

Places 2

Related Places

  • Front view.

    Athens, Greece

    Caves of Filopappou Hill

    These caves secretly held national treasures during World War II.

  • Tham Piew Cave

    Muang Kham, Laos

    Tham Piew Cave

    A tangible and sobering reminder of an atrocity that took place during a secret war.

  • Portuguese Fireplace.

    Hampshire, England

    Portuguese Fireplace

    This unlikely memorial honors the Canadian and Portuguese laborers who felled trees for the Allies in World War I.

  • Tunnels inside the Rock of Gibraltar

    Gibraltar

    Operation Tracer Cave

    There was a top secret plan during World War II to seal a group of soldiers inside the rock.

  • One of the 13 entrances of the complex

    Vĩnh Thạch, Vietnam

    Vịnh Mốc Tunnel Complex

    This network of tunnels housed an entire village for years, and even had a hall for screening movies.

  • Yokoi’s Cave, Talofofo Falls Resort Park, Guam

    Inarajan, Guam

    Yokoi's Cave

    The underground hideout of a Japanese soldier for whom World War II ended in 1972.

  • Killiansburg Cave, June 2016

    Sharpsburg, Maryland

    Killiansburg Cave

    A cave on the Maryland border where civilians took refuge during the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.

  • The monastery is chiseled into the side of the mountain.

    Kalarrites, Greece

    Holy Kipinas Monastery

    This 13th-century monastery chiseled into the side of a mountain is equipped with a bridge that can be lifted to protect against raids.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.