Have you ever heard of Dungeness? Me neither. Which is a shame since this is Europe’s largest shingles area (someone even called it a desert) and there is a nuclear power plant on site. reason for traveling to Kent were white cliffs of Dover and viewing them from the sea. So imagine our disappointment when we got a call, while on our way, that the boat trip was canceled due to high winds. That was that with the boat tour, so when we saw a sign to Hastings, we changed direction.
Driving to our new destination, we stopped for coffee at Jo’s Cafe in Brookland. As it turned out it was near a remote control cart course and an antiques market at the same time.
antique market @Hoof Brocante
We browsed the Hoof Brocante area for some time and admired the beautiful stuff on display. One of the vendors then recommended going to Dungeness, so that’s where we heard about the expanse for the first time.
paintings and dinnerware @Hoof Brocante
Of course we also walked up to the cart course for a minute, to check what was going on over there. I mean how often do you get a chance to watch remote cart racing?
remote cart race course @Brookland
We drove to Dungeness, which forms the tip of a headland jutting out into the channel. Already upon arrival in the area, you can’t help noticing that this is a different area altogether.
looks and feels like a desert @Dungeness
On the way to the lighthouse we passed Prospect Cottage, the former home of the artist Derek Jarman. It looked amazing, all alone in this wide expanse of shingles. At least this is how it looked, until we headed up the lighthouse tower.
Prospect Cottage @Dungeness
The old lighthouse gives you the best view over Dungeness with its endless shingles beach. It’s also right next to the nuclear power plant. So that’s something you cannot miss.
lighthouse and nuclear power plant @Dungeness
the black lighthouse @Dungeness
the largest shingles beach area in Europe @Dungeness
The new lighthouse, which you can clearly see in the above picture has the more traditional red and white colors. On the left side of the picture you can also find a train track, from the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, servicing this area. It is the smallest public railway in the world.
Best of all is the bird perspective on the round house next to the old lighthouse. Built from the bottom of an even older lighthouse, it served as accommodation for the men servicing the light house. Yours, Pollybert
Round House @Dungeness
