Elegant and colourful, Folkestone was granted a licence as a port in the 17th century and became one of the Cinque Ports. Although it has a vast cross-channel passenger terminal, it has a dual role as a typical holiday resort with grassy promenades and public gardens atop white cliffs that rise to a height of 200 feet. At one time Folkestone provided a safe haven for smugglers but finally came into its own when it was bought in 1842 by the railways for £18,000. Home of science fiction writer H. G. Wells, it was also the birthplace of Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn and the great anatomist William Harvey, who discovered the circulation of the blood. The most important collection of Battle of Britain artefacts in the country can be found at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge, near Folkestone.