Cheriton Road sports complex, 2020
Although I’ve mentioned multi-sports use before, this picture form 2020 captures it perfectly. There’s just so much going on is such a confined space. Much of it has involved me.
As an infant in the 1970s, I had school sports days on the cricket ground to the bottom right, and also watched many matches of the mighty Kent County Cricket team of the 1970s.
As a teen form the 1970s to the 1980s I attended the Harvey Grammar School to the top left.
In my youth I played hockey, football, cricket and rugby (the latter for the town) on the Polo Ground, now Three Hills Sports park, to the top right.
And through my entire life I’ve supported the football teams representing Folkestone in the football ground in the middle of the picture. This place has been the subject of much of my time, emotions, and money. All well spent in my opinion.
As well as my personal recollections, the picture also shows structures as snapshots in time:
- 1913: Harvey Grammar School main building (left, middle/top)
- 1925: Cricket ground curved terraces (right, bottom)
- 1932 and 1933: Football ground Harvey end roofed using old railway tracks (top of ground in picture), and cricket ground end terrace built to its current height (bottom of ground)
- 1958: Football ground ‘Grandad stand’ built (left side of ground)
- 1965: Indoor Bowls Club (left, middle/bottom)
- 2007: Three Hills Sports complex (right, middle)
- 2013: Football ground Main stand roof blown off, leaving it as an open terrace (right side of ground)
So much history still in place, still being used, and loved by its users. This is why I have thoroughly enjoyed investigating the history of this fantastic sporting area.