Folkestone Bowls Club

The Folkestone Bowls Club sits quietly on the edge of town - the sort of place most visitors drive past without noticing. It's a proper sports venue, the kind where locals have been rolling bowls on the same greens for decades, and the whole operation runs on the sort of understated competence the British do rather well.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Varne Ridge is closest, just 2.6 miles away - and you fancy something low-key and genuinely local, this is worth a look. Bowls might sound dull if you're used to action sports, but there's something meditative about watching it properly played. The greens are immaculate, the pace is deliberate, and there's a real community feel to proceedings.

It's best suited to older visitors, keen sports enthusiasts, or anyone after an authentic slice of Kentish small-town life rather than packaged tourism. You won't find screaming crowds or Instagram moments here. What you will find is an unfussy, well-maintained club where the game actually matters.

I'd ring ahead before visiting - opening hours and whether they allow casual spectators aren't entirely clear - but if you're based at Greenhill Glamping or Hawthorne Trench and looking for something genuinely off the tourist trail, it beats another ice cream on the seafront. Half an hour maximum, unless you're genuinely into bowls, in which case you'll want to chat with members.