Dungeness is one of the most strange places that I’ve ever been to in the UK.
It’s an old Norse name for a headland.
Originally it was believed that it was called The Only Desert in the UK due to its low rainfall and shingle surface, but the Met Office denied this in 2015.
What is Dungeness? It’s not a village, it’s not a town. It’s a shingle headland between Lydd and Romney Marsh, with 12.5 square miles of shingle.
There are two power stations, two lighthouses, two pubs, and the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch miniature steam railway ends there.
Wooden houses are scattered over the shingle. They look as though they’ve been roughly, randomly dropped onto the shingle, or blown there, but they’re not as flimsy and Jerry-built as they look. They’ve proved time and time again that they can withstand the constant windy weather and the strongest gales.
Greenhouses have been known to blow away, but the houses stand firm.
Some of the houses are converted railway carriages, spreading out long and thin across the shingle .
Walking is difficult, crunching across the stones and shells. People who live there must develop strong muscles in their calves.
It was originally a fishing community. There were over 20 boats, but now only three remain.
The houses are now sought-after and have changed hands for over £320,000 – for a wooden hut with no land to speak of! Any alterations are strictly controlled.
The late Derek Jarman lived there in Prospect Cottage. It’s impossible to miss it. His famous garden really stands out from its bleak surroundings.
Derek Jarman was a film director, author, diarist and artist.
He moved to Dungeness After he became ill with AIDS where he created his amazing garden out of flotsam and seaside plants.
Jarman died in 1994, but visitors are welcome to walk round his garden, which isn’t easy as it’s all planted on shingle.
A bit further along is The Shingle House.
I was really looking forward to seeing it as we’d stayed in another of Living Architecture’s houses, The Balancing Barn in Suffolk.
There were a couple of cars parked outside and I know that Living Architecture’s properties are rented out for short holiday lets. I was about to creep away when the front door opened and a lady stood there. She turned out to be the housekeeper and she kindly let me have a look round.
And I wasn’t disappointed. I love their style.
The Shingle House is amazing. Once you step inside, the tiny wooden shack turns into a large maze, with every inch of it cleverly utilised.
Doors go off in different directions, with windows framed like paintings showing off the unique views.
A glass corridor joins the main house to what was obviously originally outside sheds.
What a wonderful place to stay, to relax and explore the area!
We carried on along the road until we came to the Britannia Inn, a local pub in a wooden building.
On the other side of the road is an artist’s studio.
I’ve never seen anything like it! There’s a sculpture – no, it’s not really a sculpture. I don’t know what to call it. It’s made up of flotsam from the beach, odd sandals, flip-flops, crocs, a spade, broken sunglasses, one flipper, and much more.
If I walked along the beach and saw an old, lost shoe, I would carefully step round it and curse the people who dropped litter in such an important natural environment. But a Dungeness artist’s face would light up and they’d pick it up and take it home.
Here and there are sheds selling fresh local fish. But we didn’t see any shops.
Past the power stations there is a row of cottages and the end one is run by the RSPB.
Two men were in the garden, making a note of any birds that were spotted.
Dungeness is home to over 600 types of plant, which is a third of all those found in the UK.
There are many rare insects; moths, bees, beetles, and spiders.
Warm water flows out from the power stations into the sea and it attracts many breeds of birds to the area.
We spotted a flock of plovers, which are an uncommon sight, and buzzards hovered over the lakes.
The light in Dungeness is unusual and very clear. Houses and old boats stand out against their surroundings, begging to be photographed or painted. It’s no wonder that the area is an artist’s idea of Heaven!
