With the introduction of the Burial Act of 1853, which allowed the closure of Churches to further burials, the need arose for new cemeteries to be opened in the Towns and Cities of the country. Folkestone, Cheriton Road Cemetery was opened for burials in 1857, although there was one burial in 1856. The cemetery had its own Chapel at the main entrance and a Mortuary at the rear. The cemetery was extended to the East in 1891, increasing the capacity by about half. The number of burials reduced from about 1935, with most new burials using existing graves and later the internment of ashes, as cremation became more popular. As time passed the cemetery and its buildings fell into disrepair and neglect, became subject to vandalism and eventually during the 1960's the Chapel was demolished.

In 2016 the Friends of Old Folkestone Cemetery (FOFC) was formed. Its aim was to protect, preserve and promote interest in this old Victorian cemetery. Work commenced, with the support of the local council, to clear the many years' worth of overgrown bushes, trees and shrubs. Maintenance and gardening are ongoing and other projects include: planting perennial bulbs, creating a memorial flower garden in an area known to be used for the burial of stillborn babies, identifying war graves and placing commemorative flowers on each grave for Armistice Day, identifying the graves of notable people and through research telling their story and also uncovering and righting buried, fallen and damaged headstones so the inscription can once again be seen. Other improvements include the installation of bench seats, waste bins and an Interpretation Board near the main entrance. The FOFC volunteers meet on a Saturday morning.

There are almost 15,000 graves in the cemetery and burials are recorded in 8 huge Registers, kept at the District Council offices. There are approximately 26,550 people buried in the cemetery. There are also nearly 360 people commemorated on headstones that are not buried here. Along with the graves of brave men who fought in the Indian Mutiny and the Boer Wars, the cemetery contains 44 Commonwealth War Graves including 3 Victoria Cross recipients.

Amongst the headstones of the great and the good of Folkestone there is a Cross of Sacrifice dedicated to those who lost their lives in the two great wars. Near the main entrance stands a cenotaph to the Machine Gun Corps, and dotted around are the graves of many of the victims of the Tontine Street Bombing of 1917. There is also a large memorial to the Großer Kürfurst disaster of 1878.

Through the painstaking work of the volunteers at FOFC, using the cemetery Burial Registers, (approximately 90% of entries are available to view on the Ancestry website), and other available records, it is believed that every burial record has now been added to Find a Grave. Please ensure you check before adding a memorial, that one doesn't already exist.