If you like you like your seaside towns served up with a bucket, a bandstand, and a big old Mr Whippy on the side, you might not be particularly interested in the coastal spot I come bearing today. But if you prefer a scenic shoreline that boasts a bit of mystery and intrigue, it’s sure to be right up your street promenade.
Perched down on the south-eastern edge of England, you’ll find Dungeness. Is it a beach? Is it a desert? Is it a headland? Is it the set of a post-apocalyptic horror movie? Nobody seems entirely sure, to be quite honest with you. What we do know for certain, though, is that it was just named one of Britain’s best beaches by The Times. And seeing as it’s just two hours from the capital city, I thought I’d take it upon myself to tell you a little bit more about it.
Dungeness, Kent
Home to the largest expanse of shingle in Europe; Dungeness is a rather lengthy stretch of stones, shrubs, scattered boats, and – you guessed it, folks – shingle. Spanning approximately 1,600 hectares, this peculiar pocket of the country attracts over a million visitors each year. Dungeness has been designated as a National Nature Reserve, a Special Area of Conservation, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its impressive array of wildlife and uniquely fragile habitat. Needless to say, it’s a pretty fascinating place to visit.
Dungeness is home to a Grade II listed lighthouse (boasting 169 steps that lead up to a pretty breathtaking view), two nuclear power stations, a collection of wooden beach houses, and over 600 different types of plant. In fact, approximately a third of all plant species grown in the UK can be found in Dungeness. It’s also pretty well-known for being one of the best places in Britain to get up close and personal with rare moths, bees, beetles, and spiders (many of which can’t be found anywhere else in the country). So, if you like teeny-tiny creepy-crawlies, it really is the place for you.
For many years, Dungeness was considered Britain’s only desert, but the Met Office officially debunked its desert status back in 2015. In order to classify as a desert, an area must receive less than 25 centimetres of precipitation per year – and Dungeness gets a bit more than that. However, others still believe that Dungeness is technically a desert because it loses more moisture than it gains each year. Either way, it’s pretty clear that there’s no other place quite like Dungeneess, and it should probably earn itself a comfy spot on your ‘must-visit’ list.
Getting to Dungeness from London
Dungeness is approximately a two-hour drive from London, and there is plenty of pay-and-display parking nearby. Non-drivers can catch a direct train from St Pancras International to Ashford International, and then jump on a local onwards bus from there. If you’re looking for the most unique way to reach Dungeness, however, you can aboard the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (one of the world’s smallest miniature public railways). Find out more about that here.
