Pulhamite Caves is a Grade II listed building in the Folkestone and Hythe local planning authority area, England. First listed on 10 October 2000. Artificial rock formation.
Pulhamite Caves
- WRENN ID
- distant-cobalt-briar
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Folkestone and Hythe
- Constituency
- Folkestone and Hythe MP: Tony Vaughan (Lab)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 10 October 2000
- Type
- Artificial rock formation
- OS grid reference
- TR 222 354
- Coordinates
- 51.07531, 1.17205
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Pulhamite Caves in Folkestone are an artificial rock face constructed in 1921. They were designed to create an easy ornamental walk without steps or steep slopes between the Upper and Lower Leas. The structure is made of Pulhamite, an artificial stone, resting on a base of burr bricks and aggregate, measuring about 50 metres high and 50 metres wide. The caves feature a zigzag path and include various Pulhamite elements such as seating bays with wooden benches and planting bays. Notable features include a Pulhamite rock arch approximately 8 feet high and 8 feet wide, a cave of similar dimensions with seating, a grotto consisting of three linked caves with the end cave supported on a thin vertical rock, and a larger cave measuring about 30 feet by 20 feet with two openings. One of the aims of this construction was to provide employment following the First World War.
Local climate
Pulhamite Caves receives an average of 770 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 63% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 79% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 12 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 89% of listed buildings. Of these, 7 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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