English seaside hamlet dubbed a ‘post-apocalyptic landscape’ is voted one of the UK’s best
OFTEN referred to as the “Desert of England”, has been voted one of the best in the UK.
With two power stations, a historic lighthouse, and the remnants of interwar defence technology, the area has been described as having a “post-apocalyptic” feel.
Dungeness is located on a headland in Kent, a two-hour drive from London or three hours by train.
Time Out named the area one of Britain’s top 20 seaside destinations worth visiting.
The outlet described the “vibe” of Dungeness as “shingle strolls, bird-watching, and otherworldly desert surroundings”.
They also noted a “vague apocalyptic feel” to the headland, noting the “stark” landscape.
It was even named one of the best beaches in the world last year by the Telegraph.
The hamlet is included in the Lydd & Dungeness area, which has a population of around 6,340 residents.
Despite its nickname as England’s only desert, Dungeness does not technically qualify as one but it does have a stark isolated landscape and reports low rainfall throughout the year.
In fact, the area boasts a wide variety of plant life as well as a high population of seabirds.
Dungeness is home to approximately a third of all plant species found in the UK, with over 600 recorded.
As noted by Time Out, bird watching is a popular draw for the area with thousands of tourists visiting the peninsula each year.
Surprisingly, the area’s two nuclear power stations, known as A and B, also play a role in the impressive bird population.
The waste hot water from the stations is pumped into the sea in an area known as “the patch” or “the boil” by anglers.
This enriches the biological productivity of the sea bed, attracting seabirds from miles away.
Along the flat coastline, there are old railway carriages which have been turned into holiday homes
Locals have even discussed how the noise of the power plants lends to the area’s other-worldly feel.
“You can hear somebody talking half a mile away,” one resident told The Guardian in 2015.
However, those who live their embrace the quiet nature of the area and its unique atmosphere.
Top 20 coolest seaside towns in the UK
- Brighton, East Sussex
- North Berwick
- Deal, Kent
- Hunstanton, Norfolk
- St Ives, Cornwall
- Nefyn, Gwynedd
- Dartmouth, Devon
- Whitby, Yorkshire
- Lymington, Hampshire
- Dungeness, Kent
- Lyme Regis, Dorset
- Tobermory, Isle of Mull
- Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear
- Crosby, Merseyside
- Falmouth, Cornwall
- Aberaeron, Ceredigion
- Cromarty, Highlands
- Bardsea, Cumbria
- Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire
- Salcombe, Devon
“I first visited Dungeness more than 30 years ago, just as a casual visitor,” local publican Niko Miaoulis told Fodors.
“I fell in love with the place, with the solitude and the peace of it.”
He added that the long history of the area, which was formerly an island, adds to the lore.
“This history dates back hundreds and thousands of years,” he explained.
“Over the years, there’s been law and legend about smugglers and ghosts. It carries forward to even this day.”
The current lighthouse was constructed in 1961 after the then newly-built power stations were blocked the previous one’s light.
There has been a total of seven constructed in the area over the years.
The area’s interwar era is also preserved through acoustic mirrors, which were experimentally placed in various seaside towns across the UK before the invention of radar.
Derek Jarman, an avant-garde British filmmaker, also famously lived in the area.
And if you’re looking to visit the area, there are sandier beaches nearby to enjoy on a break from the hauntingly quiet shore, including Greatstone on Sea and Camber Sands.
There aren’t any hotels in the Dungeness area so you will have to go further afield for wider options.
However, the Les Quatres Vents cottage, located a short walk from lighthouse and shingles beach, is available from £120 per night.
You can also enjoy the local catch of the day from the area’s famous Snack Shack.
The Pilot Inn, owned by Niko Miaoulis, and the Britannia Inn provide the area’s only two opportunities for a pint.