With beautiful beaches, charming towns and sweeping coastal views Folkestone and Hythe appears to have it all.
Indeed, the Kentish local authority was named the best place to live in south-east England by The Times in 2024.
But despite its popularity, beaches in Folkestone and Hythe have been identified as being some of the dirtiest in England.
The Environment Agency regularly tests the water quality along the country’s coastline and rates each spot from ‘poor’ to ‘excellent’.
A recent study looking into all of the beaches in England found sites in Folkestone and Hythe had a mean bacteria score of 3.273 – more than three times higher than the national average of 1.033.
The regulator tests samples for two types of bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci, to see if there is faecal matter in the water.
‘We monitor for these two bacteria because they indicate that there are germs in the water which can make you ill,’ it explains.
Folkestone and Hythe has been identified as having some of the ‘dirtiest’ beaches in England. Pictured: Folkestone beach, which ranked 20th for potentially contaminated water
According to research by holiday tour operator Exoticca.com, the local authority placed 20th for beaches with potentially contaminated water, the Mirror reports.
The beach’s water quality was classified as merely ‘sufficient’ in 2025, scoring one star out of three.
The study also highlighted Littlestone, a popular shingle-and-sand spot in the area, as the third dirtiest beach in the country, with a bacteria score of 8.213.
Elsewhere, Dymchurch ranked tenth with a score of 4.173. Both beaches were rated poor quality by the Environment Agency.
But Hythe and Seabrook managed to score excellent overall.
A Folkestone and Hythe District Council spokesman told the Daily Mail: ‘We continue to champion the district as an extraordinary place to visit – whether that be our stunning coastline, breathtaking countryside or world-class creative and cultural scene.
‘This council believes there should be out-of-season testing (between October and April) to try to establish the reasoning behind the deterioration of bathing water classifications.
The study also highlighted Littlestone as the third dirtiest beach in the country
‘We continue to make this case to the Environment Agency and Southern Water.’
A spokesman for Exoticca.com said: ‘It’s important to remember that a local authority’s overall average doesn’t always tell the whole story for a specific beach.
‘Coastal water quality can change a surprising amount in just a few miles.’
It comes after hundreds of tourists have fallen ill after visiting UK beaches, according to new figures.
Marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) received more than 700 reports of sickness across 406 locations this year alone, including from ‘Blue Flag’ beaches which must pass strict tests for cleanliness.
Indeed, more than 15,000 days – equivalent to 41 years – have been taken off work due to sickness contracted from the UK’s waters since 2019.
The polluted water, the charity said, has caused swimmers to suffer from illnesses such as gastroenteritis and ear infections, which has led to hospitalisations and time spent off work.
Some 765 people contacted SAS about their illness in 2026, with nearly half – 322 – reporting sickness since the UK’s temperatures rose on May 1.
