A unique wildlife habitat makes Dungeness a popular spot to visit along the Kent coastline with an ethereal and desolate setting all year round. Mile after mile of open shingle, freshwater pits, and wet grassland, the coastline is home to more than 600 species of plants.
Winter sees a large number of migrating birds in the area such as Wigeons, Gadwalls, Teals, Shovelers, Pochards, Tufted Ducks, Goldeneyes and Pintails – perfect for nature lovers to encounter.
Standing at the most southerly part of the country, it is wonderfully wild and unlike any traditional and predictable coastal resort. Dungeness in Kent is four miles southeast of the town of Lydd, 18 miles east of Hastings, and 63 miles southeast of London.
Locals brand it “the middle of nowhere”, because of the fact it’s so out on a limb. Despite being around a half an hour drive from Folkestone, it is actually governed by Folkestone & Hythe District Council.
Over the years, Dungeness has become an unlikely enclave for artists and a popular spot for horticulturalists and birders alike.
The Grade II listed Dungeness Old Lighthouse once guided passing mariners between 1904 and 1960 and nearby is a cluster of artist studios and galleries. On the review platform, Tripadvisor, visitor Julie commented she had been to the site often over a 10 year period.
She said: “Love the area, tranquility and remote natural beauty.” Commenting on the site, a visitor from Hove also wrote: “Really interesting history to read about the lighthouse and Dungeness itself, on each level, as you go up the lighthouse.”
One visitor climbed to the top of the lighthouse: “We stopped on each floor to read the exhibits, but they did all look a little ‘tired’. Amazing views from the top, looking out over the incredible Dungeness landscape.”
The Old Lighthouse was constructed using more than three million bricks and stands at more than 46 metres tall, with light seen for over 18 miles. Although it was decommissioned in 1960, it remains a Grade II listed building and is a popular tourist attraction.
Perhaps Dungeness’s most famous resident was the late filmmaker and activist Derek Jarman. He made a garden from the shingle around his home named Prospect Cottage. The resident died in 1994 but his home is something of a pilgrimage site for many creatives who stop and visit when in the area.
And because of its sparse landscape, Dungeness and its lighthouses have unsurprisingly found themselves the setting for many books and films.
The children’s author Malcolm Saville set several of his books in the area and music videos have also been filmed in Dungeness including The Lighthouse Family’s video ‘High’ which was partly filmed there.
