30 March 2023 - Dungeness.
Miles driven today = 41
Total Miles to date = 285
Before we left St Margaret's Bay this morning we took the short walk along the prom so the we could have a quick look at the White Cliffs close up. Then we jumped in the van and headed through Dover before skirting round Folkestone and picking up the A259 coastal route at Hythe.
Hugging the coastline, as it does through Dymchurch, I was looking forward to a really interesting drive but in reality we had miles of concrete sea wall on one side and regimented static caravan parks on the other with not a single glimpse of sea or beach.
Only when we turned off the main road at Littlestone did things start to become a little more appealing and eventually we arrived in the Nature Reserve at Dungeness where we pulled up for a spot of lunch
Dungeness is one of the largest expanses of vegetated shingle in Europe and as such is an internationally important environment which sustains a number of rare species of plants and invertebrates.
It's also a haven for migrating and ground nesting birds. Here are a pair of well camouflaged Lesser Spotted Crocs in mating plumage.
We took a walk to the beach along the boardwalk close to the newer of the two lighthouses here.
The somewhat bleak landscape is scattered with long abandoned boats and winches. Evidence of a more heavily industrial past.
Although Dungeness is a private estate the roadside is dotted by a number of small homes. Some are better maintained than others.
This one has its own watchtower which must be a great place to enjoy a few sundowners.
Prospect Cottage was owned by the artist, designer and gay activist, Derek Jarman. The inscription on the side wall is of John Donne's poem "The Sun Rising".
At the very end of the road and standing close to the older lighthouse is the nuclear power station. This is also the end of the line for the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch narrow gauge steam railway. You can make out the cloud of steam from the engine in front of the lighthouse with the maroon liveried carriages to the right.
We hadn't booked anywhere in advance for this evening's stopover so we headed to the nearby Herons Park Campsite where they have 5 dedicated aire type spaces for motorhomes. But they are fully booked with people arriving for a go-kart meet at the track next door.
So we've moved on just a few miles further to the Romney Meadows Caravan and Camping Park. It's a well appointed site who charge £24.50 a night without EHU. I had a long chat with the owner who told me they have massively increased their capacity this year. There are currently 8 vans parked here including ourselves but they have 40 booked in for the Easter weekend. We'll be making a point of being back home by then to avoid the rush.
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